§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they plan to recognise domesticated camelids as agricultural animals and introduce a formal registration and tagging system. [HL4734]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)Camelid keeping in the UK is a niche market and most are kept as pets or hobby animals. The Government see no need at present to require these animals to be formally identified or registered given their relatively small numbers. Movement controls only become necessary during a disease outbreak and the Government have the necessary powers to implement identification and movement controls at such times. In addition, the high value of camelids means that their owners tend to keep their own very good records relating to each animal.