Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill (First sitting)

Debate between Olivia Blake and James Grundy

Tuesday 9th November 2021 Public Bill Committees

[Olivia Blake]

Q Is six years too long for a licence to be granted?

Dr Cronin: For a licence? With interim checks, that probably is acceptable—these are rather long-lived animals —so long as those biannual checks occur and circumstances have not changed. Part of the evidence we supplied is that there should be an amendment to the Bill that if amendments to a licence are requested, such as an increase in numbers or species kept or a change or deviation, that would immediately obligate another local authority check before the licence was amended.

[James Grundy]

Previous witnesses this morning suggested that putting the burden of inspection on local authorities might create too great a burden. The example used was that perhaps a chap looking at the tandoori place in the morning would be inspecting this in the afternoon.

Dr Cronin: Correct.