---

Animal Welfare Bill

I would certainly not criticise the Minister for speaking at inordinate length. What she has said will be set out in Hansard, and will be extremely helpful in considering these matters. I thank her for her positive response to Amendment No. 87. No doubt my noble friend Lady Miller will hope to have some discussions with her before Report on that matter. Regarding the other amendments in our names that I spoke to, the one that still causes us considerable difficulty and concern is on internet sales. The practice of people facilitating sales—what our amendment refers to in this context as,"““persons who are involved in such sales but who are not themselves responsible for the animals concerned””—" is increasing. It is almost certainly going to increase further, because people find a means of acting as a go-between, or what is referred to in the second-hand book business as a runner—people finding people who have books and people who want to buy those books, facilitating the sale and taking a cut. The internet makes that very easy in all sorts of areas. This is a matter we will want to come back to, having read carefully what the Minister said.