§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the Uruguayan proposal for a complete suspension of the international commerce in wild caught parrots for the pet trade, to be raised at the sixth meeting of the parties to the convention on international trade in endangered species in Ottawa in July; and who will be representing the United Kingdom at the meeting.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe Department has not been notified by the secretariat of the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora of any such Uruguayan proposal. The United Kingdom delegation will decide whether to support any proposal of this sort after considering the details of the proposal and in the light of the debate. The United Kingdom's general view is that, provided the species in question can sustain the trade, commercial trade in wild taken animals should not be banned.
The United Kingdom delegation to the conference will comprise the head of the Department's wildlife division, the head of the endangered species branch and representatives from the Department's scientific advisers—the Nature Conservancy Council and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew—the British high commission in Ottawa and the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong Governments.