HC Deb 25 May 1989 vol 153 cc676-7W
Mr. Corbett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in theOfficial Report, the submission of the United Kingdom to this October's meeting of the CITES; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The form of the United Kingdom submission to these conferences is normally finalised at the conference itself. Proceedings of conferences are regularly and routinely published by the CITES secretariat.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representation he has made to the CITES organisation regarding its retrospective approval of ivory cargoes initially detained in the United Kingdom due to documentation discrepancies; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

In accordance with CITES controls on raw African ivory, the Department consults the CITES secretariat ivory unit on all import and export applications. No import of ivory is permitted without its concurrence.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what stage has been reached in his Department's consideration in conjunction with CITES of an import licence for approximately 1025 kilos of ivory exported from Zaire without a licence in June 1988 by Mr. Shivaz Virji of Ealing; what information he has regarding the ultimate proposed destination of the ivory: and what steps he has taken to determine whether it originated from elephants slaughtered illegally.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The Department has received no such application for an import licence.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that Britain is not used as a transit route for poached ivory.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The Department complies fully with the controls of the convention on international trade in endangered species on trade in ivory. Import and export permits for trade in raw African ivory are granted only with the approval of the CITES secretariat ivory unit, and if all other requirements of EC regulation 3626/82 are met.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those 18 African countries where the EEC considers the elephant population is no longer capable of sustaining commercial exploitation.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

There are currently 19 African countries where the EEC considers that the elephant population is incapable of sustaining commerical exploitation as follows: Benin, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Ghinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Somalia.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further restrictions on the import of ivory are due to be announced by the European Commission.

Mrs. Bottomley

The Department has no information on further restrictions on the import of ivory to be announced by the European Commission other than those included in my answer to the hon. Member's question on 15 March 1989.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) why an import licence was granted by his Department for 1,464 kilos of raw ivory which arrived from Zaire on a British Airways flight on 21 October 1988 with false tusk numbers; to whom in the United Kingdom the tusks were delivered; what information he has regarding the ultimate destination of the ivory; and if he will make a statement;

(2) why his Department allowed the 252 tusks which arrived at Gatwick airport on 21 October 1988 to be renumbered; and what steps were taken to ensure the ivory was not from elephants slaughtered illegally.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Details of individual import and export applications are confidential and cannot be released. However, following confirmation from the CITES secretariat ivory unit that a particular consignment had been legally exported and on being satisfied that the requirements of EC regulation 3626/82 were met, the Department granted import licences for ivory from Zaire. The circumstances were that on arrival in the country it was discovered that the ivory had been incorrectly marked at its port of origin. After clarification and confirmation from the CITES secretariat that the cargo was legal, an official of the Zaire Government was authorised to re-mark the ivory. I understand that this ivory remains in Customs and Excise control.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding the current number of ivory dealers in the United Kingdom.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The Department has no information on the current number of ivory dealers in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding the level of funding received by the CITES organisation from ivory dealers.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

According to the CITES secretariat ivory unit budget for 1989, a total of 35,000 US dollars is being contributed to the unit's funding by private concerns. Contributions from Governments including the United Kingdom, and conservation organisations, total 108,500 US dollars.

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