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Animal Welfare Bill

My Lords, as the noble Baroness, Lady Miller of Chilthorne Domer, said, we considered this issue in Grand Committee. I think that this amendment has a little more scope to it than the previous one. It does not try to comprehend all that could be included in a code of conduct and allows flexibility for different norms for different species, but, once again, perhaps we are in danger of overlooking the overall quality of the environment. I take a slightly different view from the noble Baroness on the question of the drawing up of a code of conduct. I would like to ask the Minister whether the department has already taken up the suggestion of the Game Conservancy Trust to view the possibility of a code with the Farm Animal Welfare Council because it does have some experience in the welfare of animals and what could be drawn up in that regard. The code will also have to include all the latest available research. In that regard, the Minister’s view that most of this could be contained in secondary legislation is probably correct.