§ Lord Ross of Newportasked Her Majesty's Government:
What advice it has received from the United Kingdom scientific authority on the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species concerning the importation of humming birds and other nectar-feeding birds?
§ Baroness BlatchOur former scientific authority, the Nature Conservancy Council advised that a number of these species are extremely sensitive and difficult to keep in captivity. They may, however, be kept satisfactorily by zoos or individuals with specialist knowledge. Most applications to import these birds are considered individually by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Nature Conservancy Council's successor as the United Kingdom scientific authority for animals.