Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has taken recent steps to help end the use of bear skins in the King’s Guard caps.

The Ministry of Defence remains committed to using human made materials to replace natural fur where they provide a suitable, affordable and sustainable alternative and continues to welcome submissions of test results, from a testing house accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, on synthetic alternatives that meet our criteria.

However, the Department has not yet identified a synthetic alternative that meets the standards required to provide an effective replacement for bearskin ceremonial caps.