VETERINARY SURGEONS BILL [H.L.] (Hansard, 23 June 1966)

§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD CHAMPION)
My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.

§ LORD DRUMALBYN
My Lords, these appear to us to be very sensible Amendments. We are very glad to agree to them.

§ LORD CHAMPION
My Lords, I beg to move the second Amendment.

§ LORD CHAMPION
My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill do now pass. In doing so, there are just a few words that I should like to say upon it. As the noble Lord, Lord Drumalbyn, said on Second Reading, this Bill is quite an old friend now. I shall be almost sorry to see the end of it; but it has been with us for rather a long time now, and it is perhaps time for it to go to another place. The noble Lord, Lord Drumalbyn, also said on Second Reading that he hoped we could improve the Bill still further, and I think he had particularly in mind a certain change in the constitution of the Council of the Royal College. I must confess that at one time I had some doubts whether the Bill would be improved in the way the noble 427 Lord wished. However, the Minister was impressed by the arguments put before him, and we are all now agreed that there should be 24 elected members on the Council. We have also negotiated the hurdles whereby we achieve this change. I should like to take this opportunity of congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Drumalbyn, on his persistence and determination, and to thank him very much for his helpful approach to this matter.
I am afraid I have disappointed the noble Lord, Lord Baler no, in not being able to go along with him by including fish in the definition of "animals". But I am sure that your Lordships learnt a good deal more about this subject—as I did—and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Baler no, for his instructive comments on this question.
In our discussions, references have been made to Schedule 3. I am glad that noble Lords have not pressed us to revise this Schedule before the Bill has completed its processes. I am sure your Lordships are right on this. There are a number of points, some of which have been drawn to my attention by noble Lords, including the noble Lord, Lord Somers, who is very interested in this particular Schedule, but these points must be carefully considered and discussed with all those concerned. It is better that we should allow time for a thoroughly revised Schedule to be produced rather than to hurry consideration of the issues involved and produce a half-baked effort that would not be reconsidered for some time. Noble Lords have shown in their discussions that the matters dealt with in Schedule 3 are important, and I am glad that your Lordships accept that we should wait to see the draft of an order amending the Schedule as provided in Clause 19 of the Bill.
I think this Bill as it now emerges in the light of our discussions—and we have kept up the improvement work even to-day—will be a most useful piece of legislation. It is right that the veterinary profession should be properly controlled and administered, and it is appropriate from time to time to bring these arrangements up-to-date. The veterinary profession today is recognised as having a high professional status. As public con- 428 cern about the health and welfare of animals has grown, whether they be domestic pets or farm animals, the demand for the services of the veterinary surgeon has expanded, and it is likely to continue to do so. The veterinary surgeon (or the "vet", as most of us think of him) has thus come to play an increasingly important part in the life of the community. As the owners of various domestic pets, we look to him to cure their ailments. As farmers, we look to him to advise us about the health and wellbeing of our farm animals. This has a vital contribution to make to the increased productivity of the agricultural industry. Indeed, ultimately, through his concern for the sources of much of our food supplies, the veterinary surgeon safeguards the health of us all.
Your Lordships will feel, I am sure, that on this little Bill we have spent our time to good effect and have made our contribution to the efficient working of the veterinary profession. I trust that the Royal College and its members will take it from there—at any rate, after the other House has approved our handiwork. My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill do now pass.

§ LORD DRUMALBYN
My Lords, we come to the end of the proceedings on this Bill which have stretched over quite a considerable time. I think it is right to say that it is only occasionally that we get an opportunity to revise the arrangements governing our professions, and that whenever we do so it is, as the noble Lord has said, a matter of importance to the whole community. If I may say so, the noble Lord made a speech of great felicity in moving "That the Bill do now pass", and I should like to associate myself with every word he said. The service that we have been able to render in handling the Bill illustrates the particular merit of this House in being able to deal with Bills of this description with a certain amount of leisure, and without any Party political bias or background.
I believe we have improved the Bill. We have certainly brought it into line with what the majority of veterinary surgeons seem to want. I think we shall 429 make it easier to obtain the kind of control that the public want to see maintained in this profession, and I think this House has in every way marked the respect in which it holds the veterinary profession and all that it does. As the Bill now goes to another place, I think we can quite literally wish it a very fair wind, because I think that the wind which we have generated here should carry the Bill rapidly through another place without much further trouble. I was a little sorry that it was not possible to deal with the Third Schedule, because it is always nice to finish the job at one time. However, I understand the difficulties in this case, and we look forward to the Order coming before this House in due course. In conclusion, I should like to thank the noble Lord personally for his patience and help in dealing with the Bill. I can only say that it has been a pleasure to handle it from this side of the House, and I am sure he will say the same from his side.

§ LORD OGMORE
My Lords, I should like to express from these Benches our complete association with the passing of this Bill, and to express our thanks to the Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Champion, and also to the noble Lord, Lord Drumalbyn, who have been so thorough in their examination of it. I have not taken a great part in it myself, but I have listened to a great many speeches from noble Lords. I think we owe them a debt of gratitude. In my opinion, this is the sort of Bill that this House is particularly good at. We have a wide range of expertise here, and we have also the leisure—the Parliamentary, not the private leisure—to do it justice. I wish the Bill well in its progress through the other place, and I hope that it will not be delayed there unduly.