Wild Animals
Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Norman Baker (Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Lewes, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.
Ben Bradshaw (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Exeter, Labour)
The introduction of the welfare offences as part of the Animal Welfare Bill will raise the welfare standards for domestic and captive animals kept by man, including circus animals, We have no plans to ban the use of wild animals in circuses, but we do recognise that the issue will come under close scrutiny when the Animal Welfare Bill is considered by Parliament.