HC Deb 27 February 1996 vol 272 c499W
Sir Jim Lester

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the policy of the United Kingdom in respect of accession to the European convention on the protection of pet animals. [18216]

Mr. Sackville

The Government remain firmly committed to adopting reasonable measures to improve the treatment of animals, but are not at present convinced that accession to the pet animals convention would add significantly to the protection which domestic animals already enjoy under existing United Kingdom law. The Government will review the position again at the end of the decade.