HL Deb 20 March 1930 vol 76 cc942-3

Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Danesfort.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly:

[The EARL BEAUCHAMP in the Chair.]

Clause 1:

Amendment of 15 and 16 Geo. 5. c. 38, Schedule.

1. No person shall exhibit or train as a performing animal any of the animals specified in the Schedule to this Act or be registered in respect of any such animal.

Clause 1 agreed to.

THE EARL OF ONSLOW moved to insert the following new clause after Clause 1:—

Saving for zoological societies. .Nothing in this Act or in the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act, 1925, shall apply to the Zoological Society of London or to any other society or association which on application to the Secretary of State is certified by him to have for its principal object the exhibition of animals for educational or scientific purposes. The noble Earl said: This is the Amendment which I ventured to foreshadow on the Second Reading, and which I think my noble friend behind me (Lord Danes-fort) did not view with disfavour. Your Lordships will see that it is to enable zoological societies to train animals when necessary without having to undergo the penalties which are laid down in the case of animals performing or being exhibited in circuses and suchlike entertainments.

I beg to move.

Amendment moved— After Clause 1 insert the said new clause.—(The Earl of Onslow.)

LORD DANESFORT

As my noble friend has indicated, I expressed entire concurrence with the suggestion he made that there should be a clause of this sort inserted in the Bill. It was never the intention that the Bill should in any way interfere with the Zoological Gardens or similar institutions, and I welcome the Amendment of my noble friend.

THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (EARL DE LA WARR)

There is only one small point which His Majesty's Government would like to put to the noble Earl. It is felt that the Secretary of State really has no machinery or any special qualifications for determining this question of whether a society exhibits animals principally for educational or scientific purposes or for some other reason, and therefore he would make the suggestion that the wording of this Amendment should be altered, and that instead of "on application to the Secretary of State is certified by him to have" we should have just the word "has." That would mean that a Court of Law would settle the question and not the Secretary of State.

THE LORD CHAIRMAN

I do not know if the noble Earl wishes to move an Amendment?

THE EARL OF ONSLOW

I do not quite understand how it would read. Would the noble Earl mind reading it?

THE LORD CHAIRMAN

It would read:— Nothing in this Act or in the performing Animals (Regulation) Act, 1925, shall apply to the Zoological Society of London or to any other society or association which has for its principal object the exhibition of animals for educational or scientific purposes.

THE EARL OF ONSLOW

Subject to reconsideration on Report I think I could accept that.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Amendment moved—

After Clause 1 insert the following new clause: Nothing in this Act or in the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act, 1925, shall apply to the Zoological Society of London or to any other society or association which has for its principal object the exhibition of animals for educational or scientific purposes."—(The Earl of Onslow.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Remaining clause agreed to.

Schedule agreed to.