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Vol. 737 Thursday No. 16 14 June 2012 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Death of a Member: Lord Archer of Sandwell Announcement Questions Animal Welfare Schools: Admission Libraries Environment: Rio+20 Conference Business of the House Timing of Debates Examiner of Petitions for Private Bills Motion to Approve Joint Committee on Human Rights Membership Motion Youth Unemployment Motion to Take Note Schools: Well-being and Personal and Social Needs Motion to Take Note Banking Reform Statement European Rail Market: EUC Report Motion to Take Note Written Statements Written Answers For column numbers see back page £3·50 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. The bound volumes also will be sent to those Peers who similarly notify their wish to receive them. No proofs of Daily Reports are provided. 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THE INDEX to each Bound Volume of House of Commons Debates is published separately at £9·00 and can be supplied to standing order. All prices are inclusive of postage. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2012, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU; email: [email protected] 1411 Death of a Member[14 JUNE 2012] Animal Welfare 1412 which is concerned with working animals, particularly House of Lords equids, in developing countries. We welcome the European Thursday, 14 June 2012. Commission’s report of 10 November 2011 on its review of Regulation 1/2005, and agree that the first 11 am priority should be better enforcement of the existing legislation across Europe. However, we share the Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Chester. disappointment of many that the recent recommendation by EFSA that horses going to slaughter should not Death of a Member: Lord Archer of face journeys exceeding 12 hours has not been adopted Sandwell by the Commission. While it would be illegal for us to Announcement act unilaterally in an area that is already covered by directly applicable EU legislation, we will continue to 11.05 am push for this recommendation to be adopted by the European Commission at the earliest opportunity. The Lord Speaker (Baroness D’Souza): My Lords, I regret to inform the House of the death of the noble Baroness Trumpington: My Lords, as a former president and learned Lord, Lord Archer of Sandwell, earlier of the organisation that the noble Lord, Lord Dear, today. On behalf of the House, I extend our most spoke of, and having taken a Bill through this House sincere condolences to the noble and learned Lord’s on this very subject and pursued this very distasteful family and friends. European practice, if I may say so, may I ask the Minister whether he is aware of the trade from South Animal Welfare America to Italy, with horrible conditions in the ships Question for the horses, which are then turned into sausages or whatever the Italians care to eat? 11.06 am Lord De Mauley: My Lords, I am grateful for the Asked By Lord Dear work that my noble friend has done in this area. I To ask Her Majesty’s Government what initiatives think that noble Lords around the House share her they intend to pursue to protect the welfare of horror, as do I, at the conditions in which these animals, with special regard to the long-distance unfortunate animals travel. As I say, we are pressing transport of horses. the Commission to adopt the EFSA rules. I am not aware specifically of the position on the transport of Lord Dear: My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question animals between South America and Italy, and I will standing in my name on the Order Paper. In so doing, look into it. I declare an interest as a trustee of World Horse Welfare, a registered charity previously known as the Lord Knight of Weymouth: My Lords, the International League for the Protection of Horses. Government’s record on animal welfare is now in tatters, given that they are not listening to science on Lord De Mauley: My Lords, the Government will badgers, are dragging their heels on animals in circuses continue to ensure that the requirements of the EU and have made a shambolic U-turn on shooting buzzards. rules regarding welfare during transport are applied [Laughter.] We can see how seriously the party opposite robustly to all long-distance transporters of horses takes animal welfare from its reaction to that. Given operating within the UK. We will continue to press the that more than a million people have signed the petition European Commission to introduce the recommendation on the long-distance transport of horses for slaughter made by the European Food Safety Authority that organised by Animal Angels and that MEPs now horses travelling for slaughter should not face journey agree that the limit should be eight hours, is it the times exceeding 12 hours. Government’s policy that the limit should be eight hours or the 12 hours that the Minister talked about? Lord Dear: My Lords, the Minister will be aware of the suffering that is caused to around 65,000 horses Lord De Mauley: My Lords, most animal welfare each year as they are transported across Europe for NGOs want an automatic eight-hour limit on all slaughter, often over very long distances and in totally journeys for all livestock going to slaughter. The EFSA unsatisfactory conditions, with many of them ending report did not recommend such an approach, recognising up on the plates of southern European restaurants. that different species can be transported over different Further, he may be aware that EC Regulation 1/2005 periods of time without unnecessary suffering. Scientific allows for proposals to be made to regulate those research supports the argument that the quality of journeys if scientific evidence supports that change. In transport and the competence of the driver tend to be the light of that, can the Minister confirm that since the major factors in the welfare of animals during evidence supporting that change was indeed presented transport and not necessarily the length of the journey to the Commission by the European Food Safety time. Authority last year, the Government have now pressed the Commission for a proposal to limit the maximum Lord Addington: My Lords, does my noble friend journey time for horses destined for slaughter? agree that, although government can do quite a lot, our own experience has shown that public opinion can Lord De Mauley: Yes, my Lords. I thank the noble change things quickly? Is the Minister encouraging Lord for the work he does in this area. I, too, need to our Government to talk to the rest of Europe about declare an interest as president of the charity SPANA, raising public awareness in those countries? 1413 Animal Welfare[LORDS] Schools: Admissions 1414 Lord De Mauley: That is a very important point, Lord Lucas: My Lords, I am sad that my noble and it will form part of what we are doing at the friend does not share my disappointment that, after so European Commission. many decades of pontificating and after my right honourable friend Michael Gove’s speech on the need Lord Donoughue: While it is commendable to press to rebalance the independent and state sectors, no the European authorities for more action, will the UK party seems prepared to engage with an initiative from Government not do more themselves especially to a trusted intermediaries such as the Sutton Trust to protect the UK horse population from threats to its take advantage of all the work done under the previous health? In particular, will he commit the Government Government to improve the state system and relationships to increasing the levels of surveillance of this problem between the state and the independent sector and in British ports? make a radical change to the balance between state and independent education. Can he offer no hope to Lord De Mauley: My Lords, I have a lot of sympathy the Sutton Trust in its ambition to make a change with the noble Lord’s words. We would prefer to see which will otherwise take 50 years on the best possible the export of meat or germ plasm rather than of course? livestock, and that animals are slaughtered as close as is practical to their point of production. However, the Lord Hill of Oareford: My Lords, I am extremely export of livestock for slaughter within the EU is keen, as are the Government, to encourage as much perfectly legal.