P-05-796 Calling on the Welsh Goverment to Ban The Use of Wild Animals in Circuses in Wales – Correspondence from the Petitioner to the Committee, 25.05.18
For the Petitions Committee meeting 05/6/2018.
Petition calling
on the Welsh Government to ban the use of wild animals in circuses
in Wales.
Thank you for considering this as an agenda item this
morning. As I write the two remaining travelling circuses
that use wild animals are touring Wales. Peter Jolly's Circus
are in the north near Corwen. Circus Mondao started off in
Chepstow, and have been to Porthcawl next stop is Tenby remaining
in Wales until mid July.
There has been
protests at every show.
Thomas Chipperfield with his show "Big Cats Live" , has on appeal
been refused a circus licence to tour England by DEFRA.
With The UK Government stating that they "are determined to bring a
ban into force by January 2020". He can however still come to
Wales, he has indicated he intends to tour this year .
I wish to thank those Members who took part in the debate on the
7/3/18, which was triggered by my petition which I presented to
your Chair David J Rowlands AM in January. Members of all parties
spoke passionately, each one favouring a ban.
I was pleased that Lesley Griffiths AM in her capacity as Cabinet
Secretary for Energy Planning and Rural Affairs remained in the
champer to hear the debate and then chose to respond. It was
wonderful to hear that she shared our concerns and did think that
travelling circuses that use wild animals have no part in a modern
Wales.
While I understand the need for consideration of the best way to
bring a ban into place, I am dismayed to note that a firm timescale
has yet to be announced. I welcome the Cabinet Secretary's
announcement that a statement will be released in the Summer.
But as the information above shows yet again circuses that use wild
animals are touring our proud Country. Every year since 2015 we
have had statements released on this subject by the Welsh
Government, and every year the animals remain on the road in
Wales.
I note that Lesley Griffiths did share the information in her
response that the former Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs
Rebecca Evans AM had looked at bringing legislation forward in 2015
via the Animal Welfare Act. But Rebecca and her advisers
ruled out this way forward. Surely then the route of bringing a ban
into force via primary legislation should be looked at, which
is the route Scotland took earlier this
year.
I am very
concerned as are certain members like Simon Thomas AM and Bethan
Sayed AM. That if we delay further than due to the Brexit
issue these powers may be lost and therefore Wales may not be able
to act in this matter.
It seems every other country around us, Scotland, the Republic of
Ireland and even England are standing up and making it clear how
they feel. My late Father Richard Arthur Wyn Jones, instilled in me
a firm belief that once we - Cymru had our own Parliament we would
be able to set our own agenda and standards that others would see
and indeed follow. This is a matter devolved to our Assembly, an
Assembly I know Members belive passionately in. This isn't a
political issue to my mind, but an animal welfare issue.
So I would like to ask you today to consider contacting Lesley
Griffiths AM Cabinet Secretary for Energy Planning and Rural
Affairs to see if any more progress has been made in establishing a
firm timescale for legislation to be brought forward by the Welsh
Government.
Once again I thank you for considering this matter today.
Linda Joyce-Jones 25/5/2018. Arfon Constituency, Caernarfon
Gwynedd.