Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) re-naming the UK Zoos Expert Committee as the UK Zoos and Aquariums Expert Committee and (b) ensuring that aquariums are represented on that Committee.

One of the primary functions of the Zoos Expert Committee (ZEC) is to provide advice to Ministers of the operation and implementation of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981. Aquariums are included in the definition of zoos in the 1981 Act. The Committee is constituted to ensure it contains a wide range of expertise from across the zoo licensing industry, and aquaculture experts have previously sat on ZEC and its predecessor committee, the Zoos Forum. Members of the Committee are appointed via on open recruitment process based on merit and Defra would encourage experts in operating aquariums to apply for any appropriate vacancies on the Committee as and when they are advertised.