Animals Act 1971 (Amendment) Bill

It would be a foolish man or woman, Mr. Deputy Speaker, who ever attempted to qualify or interpret your comments. Your word is law: you speak ex cathedra—we know that. However, I felt that it was appropriate to respond to the hon. Lady, even though I would not have made the point myself. The principle I apply when scrutinising the Bill is to ask who gains and who loses. I can see that there is a gain to the owners and keepers of animals. Limiting strict liability in those cases makes life slightly easier. That is not the main purpose of the Bill, however. As the hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire has graphically expressed, the purpose of the Bill is to tidy up an area that is unclear. Of the just under 30 respondents to the autumn 2006 consultation from DEFRA, only the Ramblers Association initially objected to some revisiting of the legislation. In fact, after consultation, the Ramblers Association changed its view and said that it would support the principles of the Bill. The only people who remained utterly wedded to the original Bill were—I hesitate to say it—personal injury lawyers. However, my concern is that when we have a series of legal cases, a series of judgments, a series of many cases—