Animal Welfare: Circuses

Mr. Frank Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to prevent the use of wild animals in circuses.

Jim Fitzpatrick
After careful consideration of recent studies and the representations we have received on the issue of wild animal acts in travelling circuses, on 21 December 2009 DEFRA launched a public consultation on how best to safeguard the welfare of these animals.

We are consulting on three options:

A complete ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.

Voluntary self-regulation of the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.

Compulsory statutory regulation of the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.

The consultation will run until 15 March. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.