Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what advice his Department has issued to local authorities on the subject of hybrid 321W wolves; what plans he has to issue further advice; and what requests his Department has received for such guidance; [3652]
(2) if he will make a statement on his Department's definition of a hybrid wolf for the purposes of licensing. [3653]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe Department has received requests for guidance on hybrid wolves from the following local authorities: Bassetlaw district council, Birmingham city council, Broxtowe borough council, Newark and Sherwood district council; Rotherham metropolitan borough council; South Cambridgeshire district council, the City of Wakefield metropolitan district council and Wolverhampton metropolitan borough council.
Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, a licence to keep a wolf is required from the local authority. A licence is also required to keep any hybrid where one parent is—or both parents are—of a kind specified in the schedule to the Act. The Department has so advised those local authorities seeking guidance. There are no plans to issue any further central guidance to local authorities.