The Government has agreed to give further consideration to a proposal by Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, to label medicines tested on animals.

Health Minister Andy Burnham made the pledge following a speech by Dr Harris yesterday.

Dr Harris said labelling was a way of educating the public about the importance of animal research.

Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate, he told MPs animal experiments were "essential" for finding insights into diseases and producing medicines which improved the human condition.

He said he was worried about the high number of school leavers who had negative views of animal testing.

More efforts, he added, were required by Government and the pharmaceutical industry to "win over the public's hearts and minds to the value and need for well-regulated animal research".

Labelling medicines in a similar way to genetically modified food would give patients the opportunity to make an informed choice, he said.

Dr Harris also called for press releases to be published to mark breakthroughs in medicine and to state what role animal research had played in their development. Mr Burnham acknowledged the role animal research had played in "almost every medical breakthrough of the last century" and said it was "vital" to the functioning of the NHS.

Dr Harris said afterwards: "I was pleased the minister was not opposed to the idea of labelling and I hope he will work with me to assist in further work."

High Court judge Mr Justice Holland is expected to announce today or tomorrow whether the zone around the new Oxford animal research lab in South Parks Road, inside which people are not allowed to protest, is to be extended.