Written question asked by Jim Dowd (Labour) on Wednesday, 30 November 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 2 December 2005. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Monday, 12 December 2005 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Animal Welfare

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what process her Department undertakes to estimate the number of animal sanctuaries; and what definition of a sanctuary is used.

Answer: Animal sanctuaries are not regulated, so there is a lack of comprehensive data on their numbers in England. The Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) which accompanied the Animal Welfare Bill, published on 14 October 2005, gave a conservative estimate of 700 sanctuaries in England and Wales based on previous consultations with animal sanctuary interests.There is no legal definition of an animal sanctuary. However, the term is generally taken to mean any establishment that takes in displaced, injured or unwanted animals, ranging from domestic pets to wild animals, re-homing or rehabilitating animals or providing long-term care.

Secondary information