§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of evidence of increasing cruelty to animals, he will now seek to 443W strengthen the provisions of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1911 by giving the police power of entry where cruelty is suspected and the courts power to ban persons convicted of cruelty from keeping any type of animal, and by widening the protection given to wild animals held in captivity.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe Government are wholeheartedly committed to combating cruelty to animals. We are giving support to a Bill introduced by the hon. Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) to double the maximum penalties under the Protection of Animals Act 1911. We have given careful thought to the proposal that the police should have a power of entry to investigate allegations of cruelty to animals, but believe that this would not be justified. We are looking carefully and sympathetically at the other proposals for changes to the legislation.