Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 3:00 pm on 23 June 2021.
Thank you. No person may keep any dangerous wild animal, and that includes many primates, without first obtaining a licence from their local authority under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. As part of that, local authorities would, obviously, inspect premises and consider welfare requirements. We are working with Animal Welfare Network Wales to draft a new code of practice here in Wales around primates, which does highlight their complex needs. Unfortunately, the work was paused last summer, I think, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, which is a UK Government Bill, will prohibit the keeping, breeding, sale and transfer of primates in England without a specific primate licence. We are working closely with the UK Government so that we can extend that provision here in Wales. I laid a legislative consent memorandum just this week in relation to that.