Written question asked by David Drew (Labour) on Monday, 4 July 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 6 July 2005. It was answered by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Wednesday, 6 July 2005 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Primates as Pets

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for the consultation on primates as pets.

Answer: The question of keeping primates as pets will be considered as part of a wider consultation on the proposed use of the Government's powers under Article 8.2 of Council Regulation 338/97, which is planned for the end of July.Under this power EU member states may take measures to prohibit the keeping of endangered species, including primates, although such action must be broadly consistent with the conservation objectives of the Regulation as a whole.

Secondary information