Elliot Morley

Announcing a review of Britain's animal welfare rules, Elliot Morley has said a European treaty on the protection of pet animals may need to be strengthened.

The animal welfare minister's call came in a speech to the Pet Advisory Committee on Tuesday, where he was welcoming the "ground swell of support" for plans to overhaul and modernise Britain's 90-year old animal protection legislation through a new animal welfare bill.

With the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs now responsible for most animal welfare issues, a 16-week consultation on new legislation has just closed, having received over 1600 letters from the public and almost 200 responses from welfare and commercial organisations and local authorities.

The Protection of Animals Act 1911 and the nine subsequent pieces of animal welfare legislation are expected to be brought into one new bill.

Bill of Rights?

Defra is keen to emphasise that this will not take the form of a bill of rights for animals "as mistakenly reported by some sections of the media".

But the review is likely to extend the definition of animal welfare beyond suffering caused solely as the result of physical abuse caused by deliberate acts or neglect.

"There is equal concern about the quality of an animal's life and the need to have in place legislation that provides for animals' physiological and other needs," said the department's consultation document.

And Morley also backed a wider scope for the definition of animal welfare, saying it now had to be viewed "in the round".

"We need practical laws that underpin the principles of responsible pet ownership. The question for pet owners and law enforcers alike has moved on from 'Is the animal being treated cruelly?' to 'Is the animal being properly looked after?."

Welfare issues

Morley said he had received many letters raising issues such as the management of animal sanctuaries and the age at which children should be allowed to buy pets.

"Another key issue appears to be the docking of dog's tails. I will carefully consider the arguments that have been put forward for and against tail docking. No final decision will be made lightly, but I can say now, that I am not impressed by the argument that a dog should be mutilated solely for cosmetic reasons and make grooming easier," he added.

Pan-European protection

The consultation does not address several key political issues, such as hunting with dogs, animals in zoos, dangerous dogs legislation, or scientific research.

Nor does the consultation seek views on the Council of Europe Convention on Pet Animals, which came into force in 1992 and seeks to protect household pets and animals kept for trading or commercial breeding.

Parties to the convention undertake to ensure that pet animals are not caused pain, suffering, distress or are abandoned.

Morley said: "Now would be a good time to look again at the convention. It is too early to speculate on where we go from here - but a review, tying in with our own consultation would seem logical."

Parties to the convention are already committed to consulting on revisions to it every five years, or whenever a majority of the signatories request it.