HC Deb 23 May 2002 vol 386 cc488-9W
Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what actions her Department is taking to ensure that no illegally logged timber enters the United Kingdom. [55294]

Mr. Meacher

The actions that the Department and the Department for International Development are taking to combat illegal logging are:

  1. (a) ensuring that the import of endangered timber species is in compliance with CITES, the convention on trade in endangered species;
  2. (b) implementing the government timber procurement policy that seeks to procure forest products only from legal and sustainable sources;
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  3. (c) working with a number of timber exporting countries to help them improve governance and strengthen forest law enforcement;
  4. (d) working to develop capacity for the implementation of timber certification schemes in some producing countries;
  5. (e) promoting bilateral arrangements between the UK and timber producing countries whereby countries work together to tackle illegal logging and associated trade;
  6. (f) showing leadership within the European Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) process that will see the European Commission draft a FLEGT action plan by the end of 2002. The EU FLEGT action plan will include consideration of new EU legislative requirements to enforce the control of access to the EU market of illegally logged timber and timber products
  7. (g) sponsoring, among other, research that shows the negative economic impact of illegal logging for the development of certain producing countries with a view to help them manage their natural resources in a more sustainable manner.

With regard to (e) the Governments of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Indonesia signed on 18 April 2002 a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation to improve Forest Law Enforcement and Governance and to combat illegal logging and the international trade in illegally logged timber and timber products. Copies of the Memorandum have been placed in the Library of both Houses. We are discussing the content of the memorandum with a number of both timber producing and timber consuming countries, including United States, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Malaysia as a possible model for taking forward actions on combating illegal logging on a bilateral, regional and multilateral basis.

With regard to (a), (c), (d) and (g), it is important to remember that combating illegal logging and associated trade requires effort from both timber producing and consuming countries. Timber producing countries are responsible for defining and enforcing the national legislative and regulatory frameworks that define legality. We are helping them to do so effectively.