§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the animal welfare implications of the trade in products containing dog and cat fur. [107679]
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 7 April 2003]The Government are aware both of reports in the media (including on the internet) and reports by various animal welfare groups about the mistreatment of domestic cats and dogs in parts of Asia and the reported use of their fur. So far, we have not seen reliable evidence that these practices take place on a significant, organised scale, nor have we been able to ascertain whether domestic cat and dog fur produced in this way is indeed entering the UK. We would therefore be interested to hear from anyone who has hard evidence about the practices relating to this alleged trade, and more particularly, any evidence of proven domestic dog and cat fur goods produced by this trade that may be entering the UK.
The Government are committed to reporting back to Parliament on this issue in the summer.