In March 2006 the then Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Minister responsible for Animal Welfare, Ben Bradshaw, announced his intention to introduce Regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to ban the use of certain non-domesticated species in travelling circuses, whose welfare needs cannot be satisfactorily met in that environment.

A Circus Working Group was established to consider the issue and DEFRA undertook a Circus Feasibility Study to investigate the possibility of regulating the use of wild animals in circuses.

In December 2009, the then DEFRA Minister for Animal Welfare, Jim Fitzpatrick, launched a 12- week public consultation on the use of wild animals in circuses. It closed on 15th March 2010 having received more than 10,500 responses.

In March 2010, DEFRA revealed that more than 94 percent of respondents to the public consultation favoured a complete ban and Jim Fitzpatrick said he was “minded” to introduce a ban.

However, the government ran out of time to introduce legislation, and the incoming Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government (which took office in May 2010) sought further advice and consultation on the issue, eventually announcing that there were “legal obstacles” to introducing a ban.

On 13 May 2011, DEFRA announced that is was to introduce a “tough new licensing regime” for circus operators to meet in relation to performing wild animals. This sparked intense public debate.

By June 2011, almost 200 Members of Parliament had signed Early Day Motion 403 calling for a ban on the use of all wild animals in circuses.

Two parliamentary debates on the issue took place; one in Westminster Hall on 8th June, and one in the House of Commons on 23rd June at which MPs voted overwhelmingly to direct the government ‘to use its powers under section 12 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to introduce a Regulation banning the use of all wild animals in circuses to take effect by 1 July 2012’.

A ban on the use of wild animals in circuses has overwhelming public and parliamentary support up to and including at the ministerial level, with Conservative ministers saying they too are “minded” to introduce a ban.

Yet, despite such overwhelming support, as of December 2011 the government is still pursuing its previously announced licensing and inspection system.