§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contributions have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the CITES ivory unit in each year since 1985.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIn 1986 and each succeeding year the United Kingdom contributed £5,000 towards the running of the CITES monitoring unit for trade in raw ivory.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding payments made by ivory traders to the CITES ivory unit; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 May 1989,Official Report, Vol. 153, col. 677–78. Contributions to the ivory trade monitoring unit from ivory traders are made in response to a resolution passed at the 6th CITES conference held in July 217W 1987, which urged Governments, non-governmental organisations, trade groups and other appropriate agencies to contribute to the secretariat for ivory trade control co-ordination activities.
§ Mr. Peter HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on payments received by the organisations concerned with the convention on trade in endangered species secured from the sale of illegally or improperly acquired species; and if he will support the call for an investigation of those allegations and of the organisations concerned.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyNone. It is not therefore possible to say whether or not any such investigation would be appropriate.