§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Balfour of Burleigh.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly.
§ [The EARL of DONOEGHMORE in the Chair.]
§ Clause 1:
§ Amendment of 8. 1, subs. (3), para. (b) of Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act, 1912.
§
1. The first section of the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act, 1912, subsection (3), paragraph (b), shall be amended by the addition thereto of the following words:—
Provided that an animal liberated for the purpose of being coursed or hunted shall not be deemed to have been released from control if it is liberated in an inclosed space from which it has no r easonable chance of escape.
§ LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH moved to omit the proviso in Clause 1, and insert and a captive animal shall not be deemed to be coursed or hunted within the meaning of this subsection if it is coursed or hunted in an enclosed space from which it has no reasonable chance of escape." The noble Lord said: The Amendment is put down in these circumstances. This Bill, and the English Bill, which your Lordships have already passed, except for the last stage, were introduced in the same form in another place. During their passage the Home Office desired to make a drafting change in the English Bill. The Scottish Bill had already passed through the Committee stage, and it was not thought desirable to raise the matter in the other House. But the Department thinks that the two Bills should be in the same form, and the object of the Amendment is to effect that purpose.
§
Amendment moved—
Clause 1, page 1, leave out lines 10 to 14 and insert (" and a captive animal shall not be deemed to be coursed or hunted within the meaning of this subsection if it is coursed or hunted in an enclosed space from which it has no reasonable chance of escape.")—(Lord Balfour of Burleigh.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Clause 1, as amended, agreed to.
§ Remaining clause agreed to.