Animal Welfare (Exports)

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it would be appropriate for our Committee to look at the condi...

I agree with the hon. Gentleman—we could look at all of that. One of the issues that I have spent...

I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker, for not being here at the beginning of the debate. Unfortunate...

Several of us who spoke earlier—I accept that the hon. Lady has greater difficulties than others ...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, which I genuinely think is extremely helpful and...

The hon. Lady has mentioned guarantees in live export. As a crofter, I cannot give guarantees on ...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I suppose that he makes my point. There is a par...

Some of us are concerned that people do not draw a distinction between export and the movement of...

That is a helpful intervention. I would much prefer to see many more small, local abattoirs aroun...

The hon. Lady seems to be missing the point that was made earlier about some of our smaller commu...

What I am saying is that we could be more creative in looking for solutions. In other countries w...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

No, because I want to make some progress, if I may.

Calf exports have been declining amid c...

I am puzzled. Does the hon. Lady not recognise that, given the current location of abattoirs, an ...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, but we need to look for solutions to that proble...

I, too, apologise for arriving late to the debate. I do not have the same excuse as the hon. Memb...

My hon. Friend has been an absolute champion of agricultural workers during his time in Parliamen...

My hon. Friend always knows the point of vulnerability in a debate. I have never been convinced a...

I have been listening carefully to the hon. Gentleman and reading about this issue. Surely when t...

My hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Thomas Docherty) will come back and argu...

My hon. Friend makes a powerful point about ensuring that adequate resources are available to do ...

I think that the Minister heard the question; he does not need me to repeat it.

The Ministe...

Madam Deputy Speaker, I apologise to you and the House for not being present at the start of the ...

Order. That causes some difficulty. We have now had three Members in a row taking part in a debat...

I have been a Member of Parliament since 1983 and I absolutely agree with everything you have sai...

I understand the hon. Gentleman’s reasons for being late. Does he agree that doing television is ...

Order. We are really not going to follow that route. We are considering a serious subject, and I ...

The late Member of Parliament for Newham, North-West, Tony Banks, was a great champion of animal ...

I disagree about animal exports, but would the hon. Gentleman concede that sometimes animals can ...

I recognise that hon. Members rightly represent all sorts of interests. I have said that I suppor...

Like me, the hon. Gentleman supports banning the use of wild animals in circuses. One of the solu...

I cannot believe for a moment that that would be the result if the motion was supported. I want t...

I am intrigued about the carol service for animals. Was it per chance, “The cattle are lowing, th...

I think the hon. Member for Southend West (Mr Amess) has finished, so, if that was your speech, M...

indicated dissent.

Okay.

2.40 pm

It is a privilege to follow such a commendable contribution. I understand that a few weeks ago on...

My hon. Friend is making an eloquent case. He just mentioned personal experience. Will he say a b...

I shall return later to the specific things that the inquiry should consider—it will not be an ex...

Crawler!

Indeed. I am just worried about any inheritance potential, so I had better continue.

For ma...

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about the reduction in the number of abattoirs. In th...

The hon. Gentleman makes a good intervention, which points to a long-term trend. Some of the reas...

rose—

I give way to the Chair of the Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

As the Minister probably knows, an announcement on Vion is imminent, but does the hon. Member for...

The hon. Lady is absolutely right about the popularity of small abattoirs increasing as people be...

Is it not also true that a local abattoir gets better meat because there is less stress on the an...

I am not in a position to make a completely evidence-based judgment on that. I can only say that ...

Perhaps I can help my hon. Friend out. The answer is that it depends on the stress that the anima...

My hon. Friend makes a perfectly formed point.

I shall proceed at a rate of knots now, beca...

indicated assent.

I am glad the Minister confirms that.

My hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and West Fi...

indicated dissent.

The Minister shakes his head, so the advice is still the same. In that case, our focus must be on...

Is not the key point the fact that when it comes to the crossing of borders, animal welfare is th...

Yes, the hon. Gentleman makes a point that is absolutely valid. We strongly believe in that focus...

A local farmer recently approached me to say that for the first time he has won an order to trans...

That is not what I am proposing. What I am proposing is a live debate. Given the existence of a p...

I think that the public often assume that all animal transport takes place in the worst condition...

As we know, the big issues that hit the headlines in the press involve the worst possible example...

I agree with the hon. Member for Ogmore (Huw Irranca-Davies) that this has been an extremely good...

We have the opportunity to recognise and celebrate this high standard of animal welfare in this c...

That is precisely the case, and now is the time to level that playing field for our producers. We...

On that wider theme, what would the Minister say about the importation of foie gras? Would he be ...

My personal view is that people should not buy foie gras, because of the method of production. It...

rose—

I have just given way to the hon. Gentleman and he cannot really have two bites in the same sente...

I am sorry that I have not been in the Chamber for the whole debate, but I have been here for qui...

I think we need to do two things. I agree with the hon. Gentleman and I shall discuss the circums...

We all seem to be on the same side of the argument. Does the Minister agree that if we went for a...

The hon. Gentleman is right. We must be careful what we wish for because there are sometimes unfo...

Will the Minister give way?

I will now give way to the hon. Gentleman as he is persistent.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way to me for the second time. My hon. Friend the Member fo...

No, I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman. Yes, he is right to read out that article. The legal ...

I would like to take the Minister back to the report he has received. He will be aware that the N...

I was just about to come to that. The hon. Gentleman raises an important matter. Nothing would ha...

We had similar protests at Brightlingsea when I was an MEP. At that time the port of Dover had cl...

As we have heard, Dover is no longer used. There may be more than one reason for that. I am not s...

I thank the Minister for all the work he is doing, but what he outlined before the intervention b...

The hon. Lady makes a very important point. The EU Commission itself notes that the level of enfo...

The Minister is doing an excellent job of setting out a complex set of arguments. He will recall ...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising that and this is probably an appropriate place to...

What about the hon. Member for Ogmore (Huw Irranca-Davies)?

I have mentioned the hon. Member for Ogmore many times and covered what he said almost word for w...

I thank the hon. Members for Poplar and Limehouse (Jim Fitzpatrick) and for Brighton, Pavilion (C...