Local MP Sheryll Murray has, following support from Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs, tabled a Private Members Bill to outlaw the keeping of primates as pets.
Working with the Monkey sanctuary in Looe in her South East Cornwall constituency Sheryll has gathering information and promoting their cause make this prohibition law through presenting legislation to the House of Commons. The ‘Keeping of Primates as Pets (Prohibition) Bill’ will be given its first reading in the House on January 18th.
The Bill states, “That leave be given to bring in a bill to prohibit the breeding, selling, purchasing and keeping of primates as pets in the United Kingdom; to introduce breed-specific codes of practice for the keeping of primates in animal sanctuaries and for species conservation; and for connected purposes.”
At a recent Winter Opening on Sunday of the Monkey Sanctuary Sheryll met with staff to discuss the Bill and also was presented with a cuddly toy version of Donkey, the monkey that Sheryll has adopted. Sheryll was pleased to see the real Donkey with the other Barbary Macaque monkeys in their enclosure.
Speaking after the event Sheryll said, “It was a real pleasure to meet the staff and the management and I would like to take the opportunity to thank them for caring for the rescued primates and for giving them a better life than they would have had otherwise. Having heard the many harrowing stories these primates have suffered I am determined to try to get legislation through parliament to stop the keeping of primates as pets. It is fantastic to have such cross party support for this piece of legislation and I would like to thank the MPs who signed the Bill.”
Conservative MPs who backed the Bill are: Oliver Colville, Zac Goldsmith, Col Bob Stewart, Mark Pritchard, Caroline Nokes, Peter Aldous and Neil Parish. Labour MPs who backed the bill are: Mark Lazarowicz, Katy Clark and Joan Walley. Cornwall Lib Dem Stephen Gilbert also backed the Bill.
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Pictured at the Sanctuary: (Left to right) Rachel Hevesi – Director, Sheryll Murray MP, Brooke Aldrich – Campaigns Manager.