§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now halt the sale of wolf hybrid dogs as pets and have them registered as wild animals.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyNo. The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 provides controls over the keeping of wild animals by requiring people who wish to do so to obtain a licence from the appropriate local authority. These licences are issued only if stringent conditions concerning safety and welfare have been met. The term "dangerous wild animal" is not defined in the Act, other than by reference to a list of species, which includes wolves, in the schedule to the Act. Mammal hybrids (arising from cross breeding of domestic and wild animals) are covered by the Act if at least one parent is of a species listed in the schedule to the Act.
Separate legislation, the Dogs Act 1871, exists to control dangerous dogs, and empowers the police to take action against anyone failing to control a dangerous dog.