§ 7.55 p.m.
THE DUKE OF ATHOLLMy Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. I think that perhaps I should briefly explain the background to it. The Deer Act 1959 charged the Red Deer Commission with the control and conservation of red deer in Scotland. It gave them powers to obtain the number shot from the various estates and from other people entitled to shoot deer under the Act. The impracticability of obtaining these figures from the smaller estates, more especially from the crofters and farmers who have the right to shoot marauding deer on enclosed land, has meant that the Red Deer Commission have not been able to obtain satisfactory figures of the number of deer shot each year and the sexes and ages of the deer shot.
314 It is therefore proposed by this; Bill that venison dealers should be registered, that they should keep a book recording these facts and that the Red Deer Commission or the Secretary of State, or someone authorised by either of these, should be entitled to inspect these books. This will enable the Commission to obtain much more accurate figures about the number of deer being shot and the sexes of the deer. Perhaps I should point out that the Bill applies to all deer and not only to red deer, so it will have useful scientific purposes when the roe deer and fallow deer come to be counted and some form of control is applied to them.
Clause 1 of the Bill requires dealers in venison to register with the local authorities. Once a year the local authorities have to return to the Red Deer Commission a list of dealers in their areas. Under Clause 1(1)(b) people will only be allowed to sell venison, or to offer or expose venison for sale, only if they are registered dealers, except in the case of people who have legally shot or killed deer in some other way. Clause 2 requires registered dealers to keep a book, in which they record the various details laid down by the Bill. Clauses 3 and 4 are respectively the interpretation clause and Short Title.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a. —(The Duke of Atholl.)
§ LORD HUGHESMy Lords, I rise to congratulate the noble Duke, the Duke of Atholl, on the pleasant: and commendably brief way in which he has introduced this Bill and to say that the Government are happy to leave the progress of the Bill to the wishes of the House. The Bill has been based on the recommendations made by the Red Deer Commission in their Report for l967 and, as the noble Duke has explained, its purpose is to enable the Commission to obtain more easily information about the numbers of deer which are killed annually in Scotland.
I do not think it would be right if I were to let this occasion pass without paying tribute to the excellent work that is being carried out by the Red Deer Commission. The Government ar3 very appreciative of the work they have done, during their nine years of existence, in 315 conserving and controlling deer, and they hope that if this Bill is passed it will assist the Commission in their task.
THE DUKE OF ATHOLLMy Lords, I should like to echo what the noble Lord, Lord Hughes, has said about the Red Deer Commission and to thank him for the benevolent neutrality which the Government are showing towards this Bill. I should also like to point out that this Bill has been agreed not only by all the bodies represented on the Red Deer Commission but also by the venison 316 dealers and the local authority associations.
§ On Question, Bill read 2ª and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.