Matthew is calling on the Government to ban the sale of primates as domestic pets, as it is revealed 5,000 such animals are kept in unsuitable conditions across the UK.

Matthew has joined the RSPCA, the BVA, and a range of other welfare organisations at the House of Commons to raise awareness of this issue. Fifteen European countries have already introduced bans on keeping primates as pets, for either all or some species.

An estimated 5,000 primates are currently believed to be confined in wholly unsuitable conditions in UK homes. These highly intelligent mammals have been shown to suffer disproportionally in domestic environments, causing unnecessary suffering for both the animals involved and owners.

Public support also remains high for a total ban, with a recent YouGov survey finding that 75 per cent of the public would favour such a policy.

Matthew said: “I am proud to support the RSPCA and other animal welfare organisations in bringing an end to the sale of primates as pets. I encourage all my constituents to think again if they are considering purchasing such an animal as a pet and I shall be pressing the Government to introduce legislation for a complete ban on the trade of primates.”

Matthew will continue to work closely with the RSPCA to campaign for legislation to #ProtectPrimates