§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that the Council of Europe draft convention on animal welfare does not reduce the protection provided by the Cruelty to Animals Act; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RaisonThe convention now being drafted by the ad hoc committee of experts of the Council of Europe will establish common provisions for the protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. Contracting parties to the convention will be required to implement the provisions in national legislation, but in doing so it will be open to them to adopt stricter measures. The ad hoc committee next meets on 30 209W March when it will consider the further observations of delegations on the latest text and the reports of two working groups on two ancillary documents.