Government sets out proposals to ban the keeping primates as pets

Next steps to ban the keeping of primates as pets have been set out by the government today (Tuesday 20 June).

Primates are a group of mammals which include marmosets, squirrel monkeys, lemurs and capuchins. The latest estimate from the RSPCA is that between 1,000 and 5,000 primates are currently kept as pets in the UK. These species have complex welfare and social needs which experts believe cannot be met in a domestic environment.

The government proposals - subject to a four-week public consultation - will ensure that all primates in England are kept to zoo-level standards and will in effect ban primates from being kept as pets, delivering on our manifesto pledge. Views are now being sought on a new licensing scheme for privately owned primates in England and new draft standards for privately kept primate care and management.

Currently it is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to keep a primate while not providing for their welfare needs or to cause them unnecessary suffering, but these plans would tighten the rules further.

Animal welfare minister Lord Benyon said:

This Government remains committed to maintaining and improving its world-leading animal welfare standards – including for primates who have complex welfare and social needs.

Today’s announcement is the start of the process of ensuring these intelligent and curious wild animals are better protected and respected. This will fulfil the Government’s manifesto commitment to ban the keeping of primates as pets.

As part of the flagship Action Plan for Animal Welfare, the government committed to protecting wild animals by making it illegal to keep primates as pets. In 2020, it consulted on how the new licensing scheme will work in practice and confirmed it would ban the keeping of primates other than by persons holding a relevant licence.

The consultation launched today will run for four weeks until Tuesday 18 July. Once confirmed, the new measures will be implemented under the powers of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Since 2010, the government has taken significant action on animal welfare including increased maximum sentences for animal cruelty, banning third party puppy and kitten sales and improving conditions for animals on farms.

The consultation can be viewed HERE.

The consultation sets out details of changes to proposals in order to allow them to be delivered by secondary legislation.

We have not yet consulted on what the new primate keeping standards themselves should require, for example in terms of primate housing requirements.  The new consultation covers our proposed primate keeping standards in depth.

Action we’ve already delivered on animal welfare since 2010 include:

• Recognised animal sentience in law and introduced accountability to Parliament for how well all government policy decisions pay due regard to the welfare needs of animals.
• Ramped up enforcement with increased maximum sentences for animal cruelty from six months to five years’ imprisonment; new financial penalty notice powers in addition to other existing penalties under the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and new protections for service animals with ‘Finn’s Law’.
• Raised farm animal welfare by launching the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway with new annual vet visits and grants; implementing a revised welfare at slaughter regime and introduced CCTV in all slaughterhouses; banning traditional battery cages for laying hens and permitting beak trimming via only infra-red technology; and raising standards for meat chickens.
• Significantly enhanced companion animal welfare by revamping the local authority licensing regime for commercial pet services including selling, dog breeding, boarding and animal displays; banning the third party puppy and kitten sales with ‘Lucy’s Law’; making microchipping compulsory for cats and dogs; introducing offences for horse fly-grazing and abandonment; and introducing new community order powers to address dog issues.
• Provided valuable new protections for wild animals by banning wild animals in travelling circuses; passing the Ivory Act which came into force last year, including one of the toughest bans on elephant ivory sales in the world, and extending it to five further species; giving the police additional powers to tackle hare coursing; banning glue traps; and supporting legislation currently before Parliament banning the import of hunting trophies, trade in detached shark fins and the advertising and offering for sale here of unacceptably low animal welfare activities abroad.