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Animal Welfare Bill

That was the point. The reason I am supporting the exemption is that I partly agree with the hon. Gentleman. If the House chooses not to vote for the new clause, that will leave it open, as I reaffirmed to the hon. Member for South-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Paice) a moment ago, to the Government to make regulations exempting tail-docking from the general ban on mutilations prescribed in clause 5. The Government would subsequently be able to alter the law without recourse to primary legislation. Despite the strength of feeling on all sides, the House may still detect some virtue in this flexibility. Amendments Nos. 4 and 5 tabled by the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin) would introduce an exemption for working dogs from the ban on mutilations. However, there are problems with the drafting. Amendment No. 5 seeks to define a term that does not appear in amendment No. 4. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will agree that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s new clause is a more appropriate way to achieve a ban on docking, with a working dog exemption. I hope that on this basis he will withdraw his amendments.