§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has regarding the number of fox and mink farms in the United Kingdom; and what provisions exist for inspection of such farms.
§ Mr. MacleanInformation is not collected on the number of fox farms in the United Kingdom.
Officers of the state veterinary service make visits to fur farms as they do to other livestock farms to undertake welfare inspections. At these visits, the accommodation and management practices are taken into account when assessing the welfare of the animals.
There were 50 licensed mink farms in the United Kingdom on 20 February 1990. Licenses run for no longer than a year and no licence is issued or renewed without an inspection by the appropriate agriculture department.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Ministry's inspectors will conduct a veterinary inspection of the fox fur farm run by Grange Farm Poultry Products in Ovenden Wood, Halifax; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. MacleanThis farm has already been visited as part of a welfare monitoring exercise. It is not the Ministry's policy to divulge specific details of such inspections but I understand that there was no evidence of a breach of the welfare legislation at the time of the visit.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make it his policy to prohibit the breeding of foxes for use by the fur trade; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what regulations exist on the size and type of cage housing foxes and minks on fur farms; and if there are any proposals to enforce minimum standards.
§ Mr. MacleanThere are no specific regulations on the size and type of cages for fur animals, other than the provisions of the Mink (Keeping) Regulations 1975 which require cages to be constructed in such a manner as to prevent escapes. All fur farmers are, however, bound by the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary pain or unnecessary distress to animals on agricultural land.
A recommendation on fur farming has recently been adopted under the Council of Europe convention for the protection of animals kept for farming purposes. This recommendation will come into operation within 12 months and will set minimum welfare standards for fur farms. These include the enrichment of the environment by objects that provide suitable stimuli for the fox to gnaw and to play and a secluded area, such as a nest box and shelf. The recommendation is to be reviewed within five years taking account of further research into the welfare requirements of animals kept for fur.
The Farm Animal Welfare Council has reviewed fur farming and did not recommend that the practice be banned. The Government do not intend to introduce a unilateral ban in this country but will continue to work for welfare improvements on an international basis if further research indicates that these are necessary.