I shall concentrate specifically on live animal exports. In a previous life, I spent almost 30 years in the Merchant Navy, sailing on ships to the far east and crossing the channel. I have seen some of the suffering close up; I have felt it and smelt it and I know what it is all about.

The general agreement on tariffs and trade acts against our ability to ban live animal exports. Every year, about 500,000 animals are exported from the European Union to the middle east. We know about their suffering during the voyage and during their discharge at the end of the journey, in high temperatures and uncontrolled conditions. We know some of their suffering during the act of slaughter. It is beyond belief that the EU does not have the power to stop that evil trade.

That trade takes place much closer to home: every week, many thousands of live animals are exported through my constituency of Dover. I pay tribute to the local animal welfare organisations—especially Kent Against Live Animal Exports, of which I am a member—which have picketed, day and night and in all weather, over the past two years to try to bring an end to the evil trade. Dover harbour board wants to stop the trade and has tried to do so; the mainstream—one might call them "legitimate"—ferry companies want to stop it; yet still the trade continues.

The ordinary people who turn out, day and night, many without a political thought in their head other than the welfare of animals, cannot understand why our Government are unable to ban the trade. They cannot understand why the EU is unable to ban the trade from Europe to the middle east. They cannot understand why the free trade regulations completely ignore any principles of ethics or morality in their application.

I join in congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Dr. Stoate) on having covered the subject in depth and on managing to mention the third way twice—now it has been mentioned for a third time. I urge my hon. Friend the Minister to take to the negotiations the message that there is an urgent need to inject morality, ethics and fairness into all future negotiations.