§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many bird species currently subject to United Kingdom conservation licensing controls under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976 will not be subject to import licensing under current European Community/Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species regulations after I January 1993; if he will list them; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 17 December 1992]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Dr. Twinn) on 1 December 1992, Official Report, cols 153–54. About 8,000 species of bird will no longer be subject to import licensing after 1 January 1993. A list of these could only, he produced at disproportionate cost. To ensure their continued protection, 83 of these species will be made subject to sales licensing. Only a minority of the remaining species are traded, and licensing of imports of them has been primarily for monitoring. We are pressing for more extensive monitoring to be introduced throughout the European Community in future.