Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 7:37 pm on 8 July 2020.
If I could respond to the Minister there, Minister, you were responsible for the bovine TB strategy here in Wales, and obviously the testers there have to be either a veterinary surgeon or someone who's suitably qualified—it's specified in the rules and regulations. Surely the same logic is here when you're talking about wild animals, and exotic animals even, where there might be an area of doubt, there might be an area of concern whether the animal does fall under the legislation. As the evidence at Stage 1 that the committee took showed, the list isn't definitive and you do need that expert opinion should a test have to be undertaken, or a clarification of which animals might or might not fall under the legislation. Members who sat on the committee—Labour Members as well—heard that very evidence.
So, I would suggest that these amendments that have been tabled today, again, like my first amendment in group 1, are all about tidying up some of the looser edges of this legislation, so that they take the conflict out. Hopefully this legislation will be passed, because the legislation is non-contentious—we all support its implementation—but ultimately, it can be a far better piece of legislation if these amendments are accepted by the Government and supported by the Parliament as a whole. I hear what the Minister says, and I appreciate these amendments will fall this evening, but I will push them to the vote so that they can be tested this evening. I therefore call for the vote.