Ivory (Hansard, 17 October 1990)

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 26 July,Official Report, column 702, if he will give details of the various pieces of ivory for which his Department has given formal consent for sale within the European Community.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
No. Information contained in individual applications for CITES licences is considered by the Department as confidential and cannot be released.

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many licences he has issued for the sale of elephant ivory since the current ban came into force.
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§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
Nine licences have been issued for sale of ivory within the United Kingdom, in conformity with the European Commission guidance and CITES regulations.

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 26 July,Official Report, column 702, if it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government to allow the ivory ban to be lifted in some respects in the not-too-distant future.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
The Government remain firmly committed to maintaining the ivory trade ban for as long as is necessary to ensure the survival and recovery of elephant populations. CITES provides for species to be removed from annex 1 when no longer endangered, but the Government have no plans to initiate proposals for such a reclarification.