Evidence heard on circus bill
Following a draft bill aimed at banning the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in England, written evidence has been supplied by a range of organisations and individuals.
The draft bill was published by Defra on April 16, and will make it an offence for wild animals to be used in circuses for performance or exhibition from December 1, 2015.
Written evidence was published on the parliamentary website on May 28, and includes responses from the RSPCA, Captive Animal's Protection Society (CAPS) and the Born Free Foundation.
Whilst the legislation has been welcomed by animal welfare and conservation organisations, concerns have been raised by the fact that the bill does not specify that wild animals cannot travel with a circus.
If the bill goes through in England, this could permit wild animals to tour with a circus, but not perform or be exhibited. Therefore, circuses could transport animals to Wales or Scotland to perform.
The ongoing inquiry aims to scrutinise the draft bill in order to determine its effectiveness in banning the use of wild animals in circuses.
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