§ Mr. Clifton-BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the outcome of the discussions relating to animal leghold traps at the Environment Council on Monday 4 March. [20209]
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§ Mr. GummerAs a result of UK representations, supported by the Ministers of several other member states, the Commission was invited to produce a fixed timetable as soon as possible for the negotiations that it is conducting with the fur-producer countries. The Council also accepted unanimously the UK's proposals that the import ban on furs obtained by leghold traps should come into force on 1 January 1997, unless this final attempt at a negotiated agreement with the producer states on the introduction of alternative humane traps succeeds.