§ 21. Mr. GaleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what response he has received from animal welfare groups to his proposal to seek to add a protocol on animal welfare to the treaty of Rome. [36425]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe Government's proposal has been broadly welcomed by the welfare groups. Some argue that we should go further—for example, by pressing for an amendment to the body of the treaty with explicit reference to animals as sentient beings. However, the addition of a protocol would create a legally binding obligation and so be sufficient to meet our objective.
§ 24. Mr. AmessTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received on farm animal welfare. [36428]
§ Mrs. BrowningWe continue to receive a high volume of comment on animal welfare issues.