§ Mr. Colvinasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans for updating the legislation under which experiments on live animals are controlled.
§ Mr. Raison:We intend to improve and modernise the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 when parliamentary time permits and final agreement has been reached on the draft Council of Europe convention on this matter. Substantial progress has already been made in drafting the convention, but some matters remain to be settled and these will be considered by the ad hoc committee of experts next month. The complete text will then have to be adopted by the Committee of Ministers. In the meantime we are continuing our study of detailed proposals to give effect to this intention. Plans for carrying it forward will be announced as soon as possible.