All 1 Debates between David Heath and Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom

Control of Horses Bill

Debate between David Heath and Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom
Friday 16th January 2015

(9 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom Portrait Mr Arbuthnot
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It is strange that I should have views on both this Bill and the one that preceded it. I entirely support this Bill, which does something necessary and helpful.

Amendment 1 clarifies the definition of “horse” in clause 1. I just suggest that it should, as the Welsh equivalent Bill does, make it clear that the word “horse” includes ponies and jennets.

David Heath Portrait Mr David Heath (Somerton and Frome) (LD)
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I am not trying to be clever or unhelpful, but I do think that the normal definition of a horse would include anything that was of the same species as a horse—that is to say equus ferus caballus—which ponies and jennets are. Donkeys are separately identified because they are not the same species. They are equines, but they are equus africanus asinus, if I remember correctly, and therefore they have to be defined separately, but—