Dear constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about the fur trade and the import of fur.
I am committed to upholding this country’s high standards in animal welfare. The Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare sets out the Government’s vision to introduce a range of world-leading reforms to improve the welfare and conservation of animals at home and abroad - Action Plan for Animal Welfare (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Fur farming has been banned in the UK for 20 years. As well as this, there are already restrictions on some skin and fur products which may never be legally imported into the UK such as seal, cat and dog fur. The UK has established controls on fur from endangered species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and does not allow imports of fur from wild animals caught using methods which are non-compliant with international humane trapping standards.
I appreciate that there is considerable support for banning all imports of fur products. However, while there are existing import restrictions, it is still possible to import other fur from abroad. I therefore welcome the Government’s decision to seek views on animal welfare through a recent call for evidence, which will be used to inform any future decisions on the fur trade. I am aware that 30,000 responses were received from businesses, representative bodies and individuals, demonstrating the strong public interest in this area. Although the call for evidence has now closed, the details are available here: The Fur Market in Great Britain - Defra - Citizen Space
Ministers are reviewing the evidence and I know that a summary of responses will be published soon, as the Government reviews potential further action on these issues.
Thank you once again for taking the time to get in contact with me.
Sincerely,
