Ben Bradshaw has set out new rules to clamp down on animal cruelty, describing them as the "most comprehensive modernisation of laws on domestic and captive animals for a century".

The animal welfare minister said the draft Animal Welfare Bill would "set the framework for the next century

Government Response: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Ben Bradshaw, animal health and welfare minister, said: "This is the most comprehensive review of the law on pets for a century and will set the framework for the next century.

"We recognise that the existing animal welfare legislation does not allow effective action to be taken where a pet, although not currently suffering, is being kept in such a way that suffering will probably occur at some future point. This is clearly not satisfactory.

"The draft Bill extends a duty to promote animal welfare - currently present in farmed animal legislation - to all animal keepers. This will mean that all domestic or captive animals must be cared for in accordance with best animal management practices.

"This is a major improvement to current welfare laws which are often based on the view that good welfare is about taking action after an animal has suffered.

"The Bill also introduces into our law a clear definition of cruelty against an animal and provides those responsible for enforcing the law with the powers needed to deal effectively with people who ill treat or neglect animals in their care.

"The Bill will also provide powers to introduce secondary legislation and Codes of Practice to protect the welfare of non-farmed kept animals. This enabling power is already available for farmed animals and our aim is to ensure that in future all domestic and captive animals will be protected by legislation that can be easily revised to take account of changing welfare needs and increased scientific knowledge.

"What this Bill does not do is threaten a gardener who kills a slug or steps on a snail with a £20,000 fine. As a keen gardener, I am a regular drowner of slugs in beer. This Bill applies to vertebrates only and only to vertebrates in the care of man."

Party Response: Conservative

Tim Yeo , shadow secretary of state for environment and transport, said: "We recognise the need to update animal welfare legislation and therefore welcome the government's decision to create this opportunity.

"However, we have some concerns over aspects of what is proposed.

"This is a missed opportunity to action to stop the use of remote control electric shock collars for training dogs. On this issue, we support the Kennel Club, the Dogs Trust and the RSPCA in believing these devices are unnecessary and cruel and have tabled an Early Day Motion calling on the government to address this issue.

"We look forward to a keen involvement in the progress of the draft bill and will be examining its provisions in detail.  The use of its enabling powers should be neither too prescriptive nor too interfering with proper animal practices. Animal welfare can and should be compatible with responsible conservation practices and husbandry."

Party Response: Liberal Democrat

Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat animal welfare spokesman, said: "This legislation has tried to be all things to all animals. There are a number of welcome measures including the tightening up of who can own pets and the regulation of the sale of pets over the internet.

"However, the government has failed to take this once-in-a-generation opportunity to deal with some crucial animal welfare issues.

"There are half-hearted measures such as licensing circuses instead of outlawing the use of animals other than horses and dogs. And there are gaping holes in the area of animal experimentation."

Forum Response: The Countryside Alliance

Simon Hart, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "We have long argued for coherent legislation on animal welfare and have always promoted the duty of care that man owes to animals.

"We are also pleased that the government has protected working dogs from potential welfare problems by rejecting a ban on tail docking. The government's intention to adopt the Game Farmers' Association code of conduct is a positive move towards maintaining standards in the rearing of game birds.

"The draft Bill is, however, essentially enabling legislation and we will work to ensure that any secondary legislation brought forward by ministers will be properly scrutinised by parliament.

"We look forward to working with the government to ensure that the positive principles set out in this draft Bill are reflected in any secondary legislation. The codes of conduct the government adopts must be workable and have the consent of those who will implement them."

Forum Response: National Farmers Union

A spokesman for the NFU said: "The NFU participated in the consultation exercise conducted in 2002 on the preparation of legislation to modernise the law on animal welfare.

"We accept the policy objective of having legislation that can take account of changing welfare needs and increased scientific knowledge, but we shall want to be convinced that this process will not be driven by any temptation to impose over-prescriptive regulation based on sentiment rather than sound science.

"As the explanatory notes to the draft Bill acknowledge, successful legislation to promote the welfare of farmed livestock has been in place since the 1960s, and to some extent this Bill is concerned with extending this approach to non-farmed domesticated animals.

"Nonetheless the proposed legislation does cover farmed animals too and the NFU will wish to make a careful assessment of the implications for farmers, including the offences contained in the draft Bill; the remarkably wide discretion that would be given to DEFRA ministers in England, and to the National Assembly for Wales, to introduce secondary legislation (and to create new offences with custodial sentences and fines, and to make provision for fees and charges); and the appointment of inspectors and the powers that would be given to them.

"Within a few weeks’ time we expect to submit evidence to the House of Commons EFRA committee which has announced a pre-legislative examination of the draft Bill."

Forum Response: Animal Defenders

Jan Creamer ADI chief executive said: "The government has betrayed circus animals.  There was an opportunity in this Bill to give them the protection they need.  We have provided overwhelming video evidence of
cruelty and abuse in circuses in the UK and the government has ignored it. It appears that the government wants to be seen to be doing something, but does not want to take on bigger issues."