PET MARKETS

Early day motion 1777, tabled 20 October 2004 by Desmond Turner (Labour). Signed by 63 members.

That this House welcomes the proposed Animal Welfare Bill; supports the objective to modernise and strengthen existing legislation protecting animals through a duty of care; but is concerned that the Draft Bill contains a proposal to legalise pet markets and that this represents a retrograde step that will significantly lower current animal welfare standards; recognises that reasonable standards of animal welfare cannot be attained at temporary, makeshift markets; acknowledges that the trade in exotic pets and all of its associated problems will increase with the proliferation of exotic pet markets and could stimulate an upsurge in numbers of birds and reptiles trapped from the wild for the pet trade; and calls on the Animal Welfare Bill Select Committee to recommend that no licensing of pet markets is provided for under general licensing of activities involving animals and indeed that pet markets be specifically excluded from the Bill.

Signatures by party: Labour 51, Liberal Democrat 10, Conservative 1, Labour/Co-operative 1.