§ Mr. Lathamasked the Prime Minister whether, in the next meeting of the European Council of Ministers, the 229W representative of Her Majesty's Government will vote for an indefinite ban on the import of baby seal products into all European Community countries.
§ The Prime MinisterBoth species of seal covered by the existing directive, the Harp seal and the Hooded seal, remain vulnerable to exploitation. We consider that an extension of the ban is justified on conservation grounds and we shall make our position clear at the meeting of the Council of Environment Ministers on 28 June.