Part of 5. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:05 pm on 15 November 2017.
I’m grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for attempting to answer the question at least, but of course these events have created a great deal of concern to many people in the area and, more broadly, to people who care for animals and their welfare at zoos. Can the Cabinet Secretary confirm that the Government has been in contact with the county council over this period? What discussions and what steps have been taken? For example, did the Government approve the steps taken by the county council in this case and more broadly with the position of the zoo? It’s clear that there’s something amiss when a wild animal can escape and another dies because of its handling. Are we therefore in a position to look at national regulations that govern organisations such as this to ensure that people who run zoos do have the appropriate skills, but also that the equipment is suitable for the animals kept there?