§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the continued ban on the export of ivory from southern African countries under the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; and whether Her Majesty's Government will raise the matter at the forthcoming Commonwealth conference in Harare.
§ Mr. BaldryWe are firmly committed to maintaining the ivory trade ban for as long as it is necessary to ensure the survival and recovery of elephant populations. The United Kingdom would not support any proposal to relax the current restrictions unless we were fully satisfied that it met the criteria established at the last conference of the parties to the convention.
This issue was not raised at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.