§ Lord Fisherasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the 260 zoo keepers licensed under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 are legally bound to observe the Department of the Environment's standards of modern zoo practice; how it is proposed that the observance of these standards will be monitored and enforced; and, if the keepers are not legally bound how is it proposed to maintain the high standard of animal husbandry demanded by the Act of 1981.
350WA
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Skelmersdale)Acceptable levels of animal husbandry are monitored through a system of mandatory local authority inspections, and conditions on licences. When making reports to the local authority, inspectors are required to have regard to the standards specified by the Secretary of State, and the local authority must consider those reports when making licensing decisions. Failure to observe standards could lead to the refusal, or the withdrawal, of a licence.