Last night there were a series of critical votes on animal welfare.
Michael says "Following many letters I have received from constituents,
I voted last night to ban the tail docking of dogs for cosmetic purposes
though allowing vets to perform the procedure for working dogs such as
police sniffer dogs. This was passed by just 11 votes and became law,
but I also voted to ban the sale of pets over ebay and other internet
sales sites. This failed as did the attempt to ban the use of animals
in circuses. I am disappointed about this as I believe that humiliation
of animals should never be tolerated."