§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what relevant scientific conclusions his Department has accepted as a valid basis for a policy regarding the rain forests and their impact on the world environment; and if he will list the different measures which his Department considers should be taken at national and international level so as to protect the rain forests in the(a) short, (b) medium and (c) long term.
§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley[holding answer 21 July 1988]: We recognise that tropical forests are an important element in the global environment and we encourage the 348W good management of their resources through the tropical forest action plan and by our support of the international tropical timber agreement.