§ Miss LestorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if Her Majesty's Government will consider seeking to put elephants in appendix one of the convention on international trade in endangered species;
(2) if the Government plan to seek to change the present quota system of the convention on international trade in endangered species regarding the trade of ivory.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyI refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my noble Friend the Minister for Housing, Environment and Countryside on 23 May 1989 calling for a ban on trade in new ivory. The future of the quota system will depend on the decision taken with regard to listing the African elephant on appendix I of the convention at the next CITES conference in October.