Spelman's Circus |

Thursday 19th May 2011 | 15:41

Spelman's Circus

Poor old Caroline Spelman must wonder whether her department is cursed.

After the forests fiasco, the DEFRA Secretary had to confirm today that she had (inadvertently) given the wrong impression over the Government's policy on circuses.

Despite strong lobbying from animal rights groups and MPs, Spelman is refusing to ban the use of wild animals in circuses in the UK.

Last week, she defended her position by stating that a ban would be unworkable because of a current court case in Austria on the same topic.

Today, Mrs Spelman sent her deputy Jim Paice to the Commons to explain on her behalf just why that wasn't exactly right. The court case has not yet been brought.

Paice prompted howls of laughter in the chamber by suggesting that the reason for the UK's refusal to ban the practice was partly due to the Human Rights Act and European Union services directive. (Amazingly, civil servants and lawyers are advising that a ban would curtail circus owners' property rights).

Shadow DEFRA Secretary Mary Creagh certainly had great sport with Paice today.

But although Ms Creagh was successful in getting the Urgent Question which dragged the minister before the House, Whitehall moles tell me that it was actually one of Spelman's own tribe who sparked the latest move.

Tory backbencher Mark Pritchard (who's had several EDMS on the issue) met DEFRA minister Lord Henley yesterday morning, along with Animal Defenders International.

It was Pritchard who had spotted that Mrs Spelman had got it wrong last week and had misinformed Parliament about the Austria case. From then on, a correction was inevitable and a Written Ministerial Statement was drafted.

The strange thing is why DEFRA doesn't just go ahead and implement a ban. Poll after poll shows that more than 90% of the public back a ban. I hear that very senior Cabinet ministers have also backed the idea, only to be told by civil servants that it's either not their business or terribly difficult legally.

It is exactly 70 years since Disney's Dumbo was unleashed on the world, complete with its tales of wicked circus staff abusing the elephants.

Today, it was Jim Paice who was subjected to some animal cruelty and minister-baiting in the chamber.

When he gets round to his reshuffle, will the PM put DEFRA out of its misery and undertake a radical restructuring with DECC?

Leave a comment...

Daniel Kawczynski MP

21:39 |
19 May 2011
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2

Actually Jim Paice did a very good job in the Chamber explaining that a Court case on this issue was being prepared and filed against the Austrian government by the European Circus Associtation and that under the cicumstances it would be inappropriate for the UK to act until we know the result of the case. For labour to call for us to ignore legal advice shows how opportunistic they really are. Lets get the result of the hearing first otherwise we are risking legal action here in the UK and thus more taxpayers money being poured down the drain.

SW

09:43 |
20 May 2011
Recommended
1

Always sad to see an MP can't use an apostrophe.

Trevors Den

22:34 |
19 May 2011
Recommended
1

DEFRA should be abolished.

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Spelman's Circus

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Daniel Kawczynski MP

SW

Trevors Den

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