§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of items from endangered species seized by the Hong Kong authorities in the first half of 1990 and the prosecutions arising from such seizures.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 17 October]: In the first half of 1990, the Hong Kong authorities made 218 seizures, from which 96 prosecutions arose. Details of the seizures are as follows:
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Species Quantity Mammals worked ivory 126.45 kg Monkey—live 3 hds Pangolin—live 2 hds Pangolin—stuffed/carcasses meat/scale 2 hds + 30.2 kg Wild cats—stuffed/skin/rug 138 pcs Bear paw 1 pc Peccaries skin 102 pc Seal skin 2 pcs Birds Parrots 44 hds Birds of prey—live 12 hds Birds of prey—stuffed/carcass 11 hds Reptiles Sea turtle—stuffed 99 hds Tortoise—live 7 hds Python—skin/meat 37 pcs + 37.5 kg Lizard skin 12,166 pcs + 27.5 kg Crocodile—stuffed /skin 90 hds + 6.6 kg Amphibians Giant Salamander—live 1 hd Fish Asiatic Bony Tongue fish—live/dead 163 tails Insects Butterfly—mounted specimens 15 pcs Molluscs Giant clam—live 11 hds Corals Black coral 5,000 kg Plants Orchid 3,264 pcs Ginseng Root 15.4 kg
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of ivory exported from Hong Kong since midnight on 17 July.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 17 October]: No commercial exports of ivory have been authorised since midnight on 17 July.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current total of all ivory known to be held in Hong Kong; and on what date it was assessed.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 17 October]: The total stock of commercial ivory held in Hong Kong on 17 July 1990 was 463 tonnes, to the nearest tonne. No commercial exports of ivory have been authorised since then.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of licences issued by the Hong Kong authorities for the export of ivory between 7 July and midnight on 17 July.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 17 October]: Between 7 July 1990 and midnight on 17 July 1990, two export licences were issued by the Hong Kong authorities for the export of 18 kg and 41 kg of worked ivory to South Korea.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 23 July,Official Report, column 105, if the information on the countries of origin of tusks held in Hong Kong has been forwarded to the Worldwide Fund for Nature (Hong Kong).
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 18 October]: The compilation of information on the countries of origin of tusks held in Hong Kong is nearing completion and will be forwarded to the World Wide Fund for Nature (Hong Kong) shortly.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many spot checks have been made by the Hong Kong authorities on ivory-holding premises since June 1990; and if any irregularities were discovered.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 19 October]: The Hong Kong authorities have made 215 spot checks on ivory-holding premises since June 1990. No irregularities have been discovered.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current number of possession licences issued to holders of ivory stocks in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 19 October]: As at 17 October 1990, the number of possession licences issued to commercial ivory stock holders in Hong Kong was 985. This figure includes both licences issued for ivory with CITES documentation and the separate licences issued for ivory without such documentation.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any ivory has been confiscated by the Hong Kong authorities since 17 July; and if any prosecutions for illegal export have been entered since the same date.
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§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 19 October]: A total of 19.7 kg of worked ivory was seized by the Hong Kong authorities between 17 July 1990 and 17 October 1990. This ivory will be confiscated if the prosecutions arising from these seizures result in convictions. Two prosecutions for illegal export involving 59 kg of worked ivory have been entered since 17 July 1990, but these prosecutions relate to seizures made before that date.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by the Hong Kong authorities in identifying the source of the 960 kg of ivory name seals seized by Japanese customs officers; and if any prosecutions have been pursued.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 19 October]: The source of the 960 kg of ivory name seals seized by Japanese customs officers has been confirmed as being Hong Kong. Four persons suspected of being involved in the illegal export of this ivory have been investigated, but no prosecution has been entered for lack of evidence.