§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he expects animal welfare regulations to fall within the scope of the subsidiarity agreement reached at the Edinburgh summit; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryI refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Thanet, North (Mr. Gale) on 17 December,Official Report, column 353.
§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to seek advice on the suitability of any transgenic animals produced for commercial keeping and rearing in terms of their health and welfare.
§ Mr. SoamesThe Department is responsible for the health and welfare of all livestock on agricultural land. In our election manifesto we indicated that we would establish an ethical committee to look at the effects of advanced techniques in animal breeding, and we shall make an announcement about this as soon as possible.