HC Deb 05 June 1990 vol 173 cc469-70W
Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 8 May,Official Report, columns 26–27, how much of the ivory seized was (a) being exported (b) being imported and (c) neither; and what was the estimated number of elephant tusks represented by the 769.9 kg of raw ivory.

Mr. Waldegrave

[holding answer 17 May 1990]: None of the ivory seized was being exported from Hong Kong; 702.5 kg were seized while in transit through Hong Kong. The remainder were import seizures. The Hong Kong authorities estimate that the 769.9 kg of raw ivory seized represented approximately 250 tusks.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current tradeable ivory stock held in Hong Kong; and to which countries ivory has been exported since he last answered a similar question.

Mr. Waldegrave

[holding answer 21 May 1990]: On 11 May 1990 the tradeable ivory stock held in Hong Kong was 353 tonnes (to the nearest tonne). In the period between 30 March 1990, when I last answered a similar question from the hon. Member, and 11 May 1990, the Hong Kong CITES management authority has been notified of the following exports:

Kilogrammes
China 2,339.7
South Korea 6.6
Mexico 9.8
Taiwan 1.9
Saudi Arabia 8.8

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a list of all countries for which ivory export permits have been issued by the authorities in Hong Kong since the entering of the reservation in respect of ivory trade.

Mr. Waldegrave

[holding answer 21 May 1990]: In the period since the entering of the reservation up to 19 May 1990 licences have been issued for the export of ivory to the following countries: China, South Korea, Mexico, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 8 MayOfficial Report columns 26–27, what were the countries of export of ivory seized by the Hong Kong authorities.

Mr. Waldegrave

[holding answer 17 May 1990]: The countries of export of the seized ivory in question were Singapore, Canada, Taiwan, China, Thailand, India and Korea.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any mammoth ivory has been imported into Hong Kong in the past 12 months.

Mr. Waldegrave

[holding answer 17 May 1990]: The Hong Kong Government's trade statistics do not indicate whether any mammoth ivory has been imported into Hong Kong in the past 12 months. Nor does the CITES management authority have this information since mammoth ivory is not controlled under CITES.