I have written to Ministers repeatedly to advocate for a total ban on the fur trade, instead of the illogical situation that we are currently in, with a ban on the importation of some animal furs but not others.

The Government’s current policy is that the importation of cat, dog and seal furs is abhorrent, but the importation of other furs, such as mink or fox, is perfectly acceptable.  A complete ban would be the logical and ethical approach to take.

During the debate on 14 September, Rebecca Pow, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said that the Government is “committed to exploring further action in this area” and will be building an evidence base to assess the current rules.

Given that we have been raising this issue with the Government for years, I don’t understand why it is only now deciding to gather evidence.  The case for a ban was made long ago and it is incredibly popular with the British people.  However, this delayed response from the Government is at least an improvement on the years of inaction.

I can assure you that I will continue to advocate for a ban to end this cruel, outdated trade and push the Government to speed up its glacial response to this issue.