ANIMAL WELFARE (No. 2)

Early day motion 1626A1, tabled 1 March 2006 by Peter Luff (Conservative). Signed by 4 members.

leave out from `House' to end and insert `deplores the use of misleading film footage by Animal Defenders International to make false claims about animal cruelty in circuses in the UK, noting that the vast bulk of the footage was filmed abroad, and that the footage showing abuses in the UK was extremely old and does not reflect current practices; acknowledges that only three touring circuses in the UK use wild animals; regrets the deliberate failure by campaigners to distinguish between wild and domestic animals in circuses; notes the scientific evidence in the Kiley-Worthington Report, commissioned by the RSPCA and written by a respected animal behaviourist, which found that, rather than being intrinsically harmful to captive animals, circuses can provide them with a beneficial mixture of exercise, stimulation and human contact; recognises that circuses' transport records show that the times and conditions for animals in transit exceed the legal requirements; supports the independent inspections that are conducted by local authorities with the full cooperation of circuses; praises the leading circuses for adopting an independent code of conduct and the wider industry for working together with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in order to formulate the proposed regulations for the use of animals in circuses; and vigorously defends the right of touring circuses to continue to use domestic animals such as horses, dogs and budgerigars in full compliance with the welfare test of the Animal Welfare Bill'.

Signatures by party: Conservative 2, Liberal Democrat 1, Plaid Cymru 1.