Public baffled by delays on wild animal circus ban
More than three years after the Government committed to ending the use of wild animals in circuses, legislation to prohibit what the Prime Minister called an “outdated practice” has still to be introduced, despite that an implementation deadline of 1 December 2015 had been set for The Wild Animals in Circuses Bill, published in 2013.
There are very few issues that unite Parliament and public such as this – across all parties 94% of MPs stood for election on manifesto commitments to end wild animal circuses. The Conservative manifesto promised “we will ban wild animals in circuses”. Public support for a ban on wild animals in circuses has remained consistently high for over a decade, evidenced in opinion polls commissioned by ADI. A 2010 Defra public consultation recorded:
- 94.5% believed a ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses was the best option to achieve consistently better welfare standards for these animals.
- 9...
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