Written question asked by David Drew (Labour) on Tuesday, 17 May 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 24 May 2005. It was answered by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Tuesday, 24 May 2005 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Alpacas

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will seek to introduce a legislative change which will define alpacas as livestock.

Answer: I have no plans to introduce a legislative change which will include alpacas to be defined as livestock.I am unsure of the context of the question but there is some existing legislation which may be relevant to this issue. For example, the Agriculture Act 1947 provides that ‘livestock includes any creature kept for the production of food, wool, skins or fur, or for the purpose of its use in the farming of land'. Alpacas could conceivably fall within this definition. Also, the Department issued guidance last year that, for the purposes of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, alpacas should be considered to be ‘domesticated' rather than ‘wild' animals.

Secondary information