Commons Sense

House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement

Bearskins Clarification

05 September 2022 · Ministry of Defence

Proposed by Jeremy Quin Con Horsham

Defence

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

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At a glance

Key points

  • Jeremy Quin corrects a previous statement about faux fur alternatives for bear skins used in ceremonial caps.
  • The MOD requires verifiable data showing a sample of faux fur meeting all five criteria for consideration.
  • No proposed product can move forward without evidence from an independent and accredited testing house.

Issue summary

Jeremy Quin corrects his earlier statement regarding faux fur products as potential replacements for bear skins used in ceremonial caps.

Action requested

The MOD has not seen verifiable data demonstrating a single sample of faux fur meeting all five criteria and therefore cannot consider any proposed product forward without evidence from an independent and accredited testing house.

Key facts

  • In May 2022, PETA sent a letter to the Prime Minister regarding potential faux fur products for Guardsmen’s caps.
  • A report against two of the initial five criteria was enclosed in the letter but was initially blocked by Leidos' spam filters and deleted.
  • Further testing conducted in April 2022 did not come from an accredited testing house according to MOD's standards.
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