§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What new or additional measures they are implementing to counter illegal actions by animal rights extremists. [HL4237]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalWe announced on 30 July in our paperAnimal Welfare—Human Rights: tackling animal rights extremism a number of changes to strengthen the law further on protests outside homes and harassment. We propose to:
- strengthen the current police power to direct protestors away from people's homes by making it an offence for a person subject to a direction to return to the vicinity of the premises within three months;
- introduce a new offence of protesting outside homes in such a way that causes harassment, alarm or distress to residents;
- amend the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 to extend it to harassment of two or more persons who are connected, for example employees of the same company.
These new proposals will strengthen ongoing action by the Government, police and Crown Prosecution Service and the courts to enforce existing legislation robustly and to ensure effective co-ordination to combat the criminal activities of extremists.
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many arrests have been made in recent years for intimidation, making threats or actual harm and personal violence against animal researchers, 24WA university personnel and their contractors; and how many convictions have resulted. [HL4236]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalIt is not possible from the information collected centrally by the Home Office to identify whether a victim of crime is an animal researcher, university personnel or a contractor.
However we understand from the police that in the first eight months of 2004 there were 166 arrests of animal rights activists compared with 66 arrests during the same period in 2003.
We are working with police and the Crown Prosecution Service to implement processes to collect arrest and conviction data which should provide more comprehensive information in the future.