§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many investigations have been carried out by the special task force on ivory trade of the Customs and Excise Department in Hong Kong since it was set up; and how many seizures of ivory it has made.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: Sixty-two investigations have been carried out by the special task force of the Customs and Excise Department in Hong Kong since its establishment. These investigations have resulted in 20 seizures of ivory.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much ivory has been exported from Hong Kong since 26 February; and to which countries it was exported.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: The Hong Kong authorities have been notified of some 35 kg of ivory exports since 26 February 1990: 6 kg bound for Taiwan and 29 kg for Mexico.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the total ivory stockpile known to be in Hong Kong cannot be identified according to country of origin.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: One hundred and sixteen tonnes are not supported by CITES documents and their countries of origin cannot be ascertained.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any of the ivory in Hong Kong now known not to have CITES documentation has been confiscated by the Hong Kong authorities.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: No.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will urgently reconsider their decision to allow a six-month reservation on behalf of Hong Kong ivory stocks; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: No. We shall withdraw the reservation on 18 July. From that date Hong Kong will comply with the ban on international trade in ivory.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the elephant ivory currently held in Hong Kong under CITES regulations has been physically weighed by the authorities.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: Yes.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Hong Kong766W management authority has now supplied the relevant statistical material relating to elephant ivory to the Hong Kong branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: Yes.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 22 March,Official Report, column 718, if he will give details of the export destination of the 50 tonnes of ivory exported from Hong Kong since the original declaration was made and, in each case, whether it was raw or worked ivory.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 8 March, Volume 168, column 789.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West of 22 March,Official Report, column 718, how many traders made voluntary declarations of ivory stocks held which led to a figure of 670 tonnes of ivory stock in Hong Kong being given on 20 July 1989; and how many made declarations under the statutory requirements.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: The estimated figure of 670 tonnes was based on voluntary declarations by some 630 traders. Following the introduction of possession licensing some 880 applications for possession of commercial ivory were received. Many of the applicants for possession licences are ivory carvers and small retail shops holding small quantities of ivory.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 22 March to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West,Official Report, column 718, what was the nature of the inspections carried out by the Hong Kong authorities on the 116 tonnes of elephant ivory not possessing CITES documentation.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: The quantity of ivory held was checked physically against the amounts declared by those applying for possession licences.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 22 March to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West,Official Report, columns 717-18, by what means the Hong Kong authorities were able to establish the legal acquisition of the 116 tonnes of ivory which did not have CITES documentation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: I cannot add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 22 March, Vol. 169, columns 717-18.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what circumstances ivory entered Hong Kong without CITES documentation.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: Some ivory entered Hong Kong before CITES came into effect. Some worked ivory was imported without CITES documents before the introduction in 1988 of import controls on worked ivory.
767W
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the mechanics of registration of Hong Kong ivory stocks.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: All holdings over 5 kg require a possession licence. This itemises tusks and large cut pieces which are individually marked to assist identification. The total stock of the individual licence holder is registered with the Hong Kong Agriculture and Fisheries Department. After registration, licensed traders holding ivory in excess of the licensed quantity, or any person holding commercial quantities of ivory without a licence, can be investigated and prosecuted, as necessary.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what difficulties have been experienced by the Hong Kong authorities with the software of the computer programme being used to register existing ivory stockpiles.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: The original software provided no facility for individual categories of ivory stocks. Improvements have been made recently.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the commercial stocks of ivory in Hong Kong have now been entered into the computer system; and what this is in tonnes.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 29 March 1990]: Four hundred and seventy-two tonnes of commercial stocks
1979–80 1988–89 Number of ancillaries1 Ratio of ancillaries to teachers3 Ratio of ancillaries to pupils Number of ancillaries1 Ratio of ancillaries to teachers3 Ratio of ancillaries to pupils Primary Clwyd 329 5.8 128.5 325 5.4 118.6 Dyfed 176 10.5 180.1 286 5.6 106.5 Gwent 185 10.9 249.9 425 4.2 97.4 Gwynedd 68 17.7 352.4 117 8.6 169.1 Mid Glamorgan 344 7.6 175.5 327 7.6 163.1 Powys 90 7.2 119.8 100 5.9 97.5 South Glamorgan 190 8.7 196.0 206 7.8 172.2 West Glamorgan 304 6.0 126.0 345 5.0 103.5 Number of ancillaries2 Number of ancillaries2 Secondary Clwyd 237 8.3 139.5 323 5.5 85.1 Dyfed 167 10.3 164.9 167 9.3 141.9 Gwent 297 8.3 133.7 327 6.0 89.9 Gwynedd 91 12.7 204.2 114 10.3 143.7 Mid Glamorgan 354 8.1 136.2 354 6.8 106.7 Powys 65 9.0 141.1 71 8.2 112.6 South Glamorgan 240 8.4 144.8 224 7.4 119.7 West Glamorgan 27 6.9 113.5 315 5.1 73.8 1 Includes National Nursery Examination Board (NNEB) qualified nursery assistants and other assistants employed in the classroom. 2 Includes laboratory/workshop technicians, resource technicians, library assistants, nurses and office staff. 3 Excludes peripatetic teachers.