§ Lord Beaumont of Whitleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 is not applicable to Northern Ireland; and what safeguards there are in that province against the irresponsible sale of wild animals. [HL3902]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Dubs)Under the constitutional arrangements Acts of Parliament dealing with what are termed "transferred matters" do not normally extend to Northern Ireland. However, legislative proposals are monitored with a view to considering whether analogous legislation should be brought forward for Northern Ireland by way of Order in Council. In 1976 the view was apparently that the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 should not be copied into Northern Ireland law, but I regret to say that the reasons why are not clear. It is my intention to bring forward legislative proposals as a matter of urgency after a consultation process.
The Dangerous Wild Animals Act is concerned with the public safety and animal welfare aspects of the keeping of wild animals and, therefore, the absence of its provisions in NI has no direct implications for their sale. The controls on the sale of wild animals in Northern Ireland, as in the rest of the United Kingdom, are contained in EC Regulations 338/97, 938/97 and 939/97 which implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).