§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to extend the scope of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 to afford the same protection to wild animals as that presently afforded to domestic and captive animals; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Waddington[holding answer 15 March 1990]: Wild animals which are in captivity are protected by the Protection of Animals Act 1911 (1912 in Scotland), but we do not have any plans to extend the scope of this legislation to include animals which are not in captivity.
However, there ar other statutes which provide protection for particular species in the wild, for example, deer, seals and badgers. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, special protection can be given to certain species which are considered to be in need of it on conservation grounds.