It is worth noting at the outset that animal welfare is the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament. The SNP Scottish Government are committed to protecting and promoting our natural environment, and will build upon our success in conserving wildlife and habitats, including working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure we are working towards having the highest animal welfare standards possible.
The European Union also plays a key role when it comes to guaranteeing the welfare of animals across Europe – particularly on cross-border issues such as the trade of animal fur. It may interest you to learn that in 2007, a campaign backed by SNP MEP Alyn Smith for a complete ban on the import and export of cat and dog fur was supported by the European Parliament. I am pleased to note that the campaigning work of Alyn and other MEPs led to the European Union introducing the ban at the end of 2008.
Any evidence that fur is being mis-sold to customers or being sold illegally in the UK is a very serious matter. Retailers must ensure they follow labelling guidelines so that consumers are not misled into buying a product, and also ensure that they investigate their manufacturing practises fully if they are unknowingly selling ‘fake’ fur products which contain real fur.