§ Mr. Muddasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what steps he will take to curtail the importation into the United Kingdom of animal pelts destined for the clothing trade;
(2) what steps he will take to discourage the use by the British clothing trade of fur skins from animals facing extinction.
§ Mr. RidleyConservation of threatened species is primarily the responsibility of the country of origin, not the importing country. I am not satisfied that there is any justification for the introduction of general import restrictions in the way these Questions suggest. The British Fur Trade Association, as a member of the International Fur Trade Federation has 411W publicly acknowledged that it opposes the destruction of fur-bearing species and it has accordingly endorsed the recent I.F.T.F. ban on trade in the skins of certain endangered species.