§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the workings and development of the Interpol wildlife groups. [16937]
§ Mr. MacleanThe International Criminal Police Organisation—Interpol—established a working party on environmental crime in 1992. It has met twice—in September 1993 and May 1994. Its next meeting is in May 1995.
The working party has four sub-groups, one of which is concerned with wildlife crime—illegal traffic in species of wild flora and fauna. The other sub-groups deal with illegal traffic in waste, illegal traffic in radioactive substances and the fourth co-ordinates the work of the other three.
The sub-group on wildlife crime is developing a network of law enforcement contacts dealing with wildlife crime, promoting the exchange of information about international wildlife crime and effective enforcement methods and is working closely with the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Wild Fauna and Flora—CITES. The sub-group met at the CITES secretariat in Geneva in October 1994.
The UK national central bureau of Interpol, part of the national criminal intelligence service, contributes to the work of the Interpol sub-group on wildlife crime to improve police co-operation against international wildlife crimes. The global wildlife division of the Department of the Environment has also participated in a sub-group meeting.