THE Government said it has no plans to ban zoos after a minister said there should be a national debate on their closure.

Basildon MP Angela Smith denounced zoos as "relics of the Victorian era" and said it was "inappropriate to keep wild animals in captivity in this way".

Mrs Smith, a patron of the Captive Animals Protection Society, said she accepted that zoos could not be shut immediately, but said target dates should be set for the final animals to be imported and the last zoo to be shut.

She said: "You can understand the Victorians who were amazed by what they saw when these specimens were brought back because they couldn't travel, but now people can travel and they can see animals in amazing films and television documentaries.

"You can't shut down every zoo tomorrow, but we've got to set a point in the future where we don't bring in any more animals, then set another point saying 'this is the last zoo'."

Mrs Smith is minister for the Third Sector -- voluntary and community groups.

Animal welfare minister Jim Fitzpatrick said Mrs Smith was expressing her own view, which did not reflect government policy.

"Angela doesn't have responsibility for this area," he said. "We're not going anywhere near zoos."

And a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "We have no plans to ban zoos.

"Animal welfare is of the highest importance and ministers have recently announced that they are minded to ban animals in circuses."