Cat and Dog Fur (Hansard, 18 June 2003)

§ Mr. Lyons
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to prevent the trade in cat and dog fur. [117396]

§ Ms Hewitt
The Government are investigating possibilities for labelling any products that may contain domestic cat and dog fur. Equally we are working to ensure a reliable scientific test is in place to validate the accuracy of any such labels. This will give consumers the information they want about exactly what they are buying. We will report back to Parliament before summer recess.
It has not proved possible to determine either through trade statistics or through scientific testing, what level of imports of these products, if any, is entering the UK. Therefore the Government do not consider any more trade-restrictive action to be proportionate to the scale of the problem at this time.

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to ban the importation of cat and dog fur. [118112]

§ Ms Hewitt
The Government are investigating possibilities for labelling any products that may contain domestic cat and dog fur. Equally we are working to ensure a reliable scientific test is in place to validate the accuracy of any such labels. This will give consumers the information they want about what exactly they are buying. We will report back to Parliament before the summer recess.
It has not proved possible to determine, either through trade statistics or through scientific testing, what level of imports of these products, if any, is entering the UK. Therefore the Government do not consider any prohibition on imports to be proportionate to the scale of the problem at this time.