§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what notice was given to United Kingdom importers of species covered by CITES on each of the last three occasions when the import of such species was banned in the EC;
(2) when he expects to receive the up-to-date list of CITES appendix C2 species detailing the range states for each species and the current EC position with regard to import; and if he will make a statement;
(3) when and by what means British importers of reptile species from Indonesia were informed of the decision by the EC CITES committee to instigate a ban on imports of such species; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 20 November 1991]: We give general information to importers about changes as 256W quickly as possible. Whenever individual traders have been identified, they have been notified in advance of the issue of general notification. General notification has been by way of a revised list, produced by the European Commission, of all species subject to restrictions of this kind. Such revisions were sent to all known United Kingdom traders on 30 April and 26 September. My Department will circulate a further revision reflecting the decisions taken at the meeting on 23 and 24 September as soon as is available. I understand that this is likely to he after the December meeting of the EC CITES committee. Given this delay, we proposed to notify all known traders of the changes made in September within the next few days.
Written notification of the restrictions on trade with Indonesia was sent to one company in October, in response to a related inquiry. Departmental officials have since met representatives of the British Leather Confederation and the principal importers.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those species covered by CITES whose import is banned into the EC only; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 20 November 1991]: I will write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to press for a worldwide ban on exports from Indonesia of reptile species listed in appendix C2 of CITES; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 20 November 1991]: Future action will depend on how constructively the Indonesian authorities respond to the EC CITES committee's decision to impose a temporary ban on the import of annex C2 species into the European Community.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) which officials represented the United Kingdom at the EC CITES committee meeting on 23 and 24 September 1991; at what civil service grades they are each employed; how long each has been working in the policy area concerned with CITES; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes from the EC CITES committee meeting which took place on 23 and 24 September 1991;
(3) what procedure has been agreed by member states governing the confidentiality of the minutes of the EC CITES committee.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 20 November 1991]: The United Kingdom was represented by: one grade 6 official from my Department; one grade 7 from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise; a senior scientific officer from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee; and a higher scientific officer from the royal botanical gardens. All members of the United Kingdom team have had extensive experience of CITES.
The commission does not produce a detailed record of the discussions at EC committee meetings. A summary of the main decisions reached is circulated to member states, but these summaries are not public documents, and are regarded by the Commission as confidential.