§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to implement the Council of Europe's recommendations regarding fur farming. [43706]
§ Mr. MorleyThe revision of the recommendations regarding fur farming currently being undertaken in the Council of Europe will provide the sound scientific justification for any new welfare rules. We will consider legislating on the basis of the Council of Europe's work if it makes sense to do so once we have established the timetable for phasing out fur farming in Great Britain.
§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice ADAS is currently giving fur factory farms with regard to investments in and improvements to their premises. [43707]
§ Mr. MorleyADAS was privatised on 1 April 1997. Any services provided to fur farmers by ADAS are a matter for the parties concerned, and costs are met by the fur farms.
§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his timetable for banning fur factory farming; and what factors govern this timetable. [43708]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Government's firm intention is to ban fur farming as soon as practicable. Such a ban must be implemented in accordance with national and international law and I am currently considering how our intention can best be implemented. An announcement will be made once I have decided how to proceed and there will be public consultation on any proposals for legislation to ban fur farming.
§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many mink and fox fur factory farms there are by county. [43705]
73W
§ Mr. MorleyAs at 28 May 1998, there were the following mink farms in England:
County Number of licensed mink farms Cornwall 1 Dorset 1 Hampshire 1 Isle of Wight 1 Lancashire 6 Northumberland 1 South Yorkshire 1 Staffordshire 1 West Yorkshire 2 Total 15 There is no requirement to register fox fur farms. However, I am not aware of any in England.
§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from fur breeders opposing the Government's policy on fur breeding. [43710]
§ Mr. MorleyA public consultation letter seeking comments on how I proposed to prohibit the keeping of mink and other species for fur was issued on 5 August 1997. Since then, the Ministry has received 7 representations from fur breeding interests, including the British Fur Trade Association, the Fur Breeders Association of the UK and the International Fur Trade Federation, all opposing the Government's policy on fur farming.
§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what guidance has been given to owners of fur factory farms with regard to the Government's policy on fur breeding. [43704]
§ Mr. MorleyAll the current mink farm licensees have been informed in writing that it is the Government's intention to ban the keeping of mink for fur in this country and that I am considering how this intention may best be implemented.