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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the welfare of the Gentoo penguins at London aquarium.

The UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world. Under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, all zoos in Great Britain must be licensed to appropriate welfare standards, as set out in the Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice. An updated version of the standards will be published shortly. Zoo standards are enforced in Great Britain by Local Authorities. While the Department is aware of the penguins at the London Aquarium Defra cannot comment on individual cases.