§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) mink and (b) arctic foxes have been kept on fur farms in the United Kingdom in each year since 1984; and how many there are at present.
§ Mr. SoamesThe Mink (Keeping) Order 1992, which requires that mink farms be licensed by Agriculture Departments, does not require regular returns of the number of mink kept. However, best estimates suggest that the number of mink being kept in the United Kingdom has fallen from approximately 100,000 in 1987 to some 47,000 in 1992. Information is not collected on the keeping of arctic foxes.