§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans exist for further bilateral aid support for the tropical forestry action plan.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: The Overseas Development Administration proposes to continue to assist in the preparation and implementation of national forest action plans under the tropical forests action programme in a number of developing countries, including those referred to in my answer to the hon. Member of 7 December, column 494, as part of our wide-ranging programme of forestry projects.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if information collected by the World Conservation Union on threatened tropical timber species with funding from the Overseas Development Administration will be used by the International Tropical Timber Organisation to help to achieve the environmental projection aspect of its mandate.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: Information originally collected by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre was with Japanese funding. ODA subsequently funded work to refine the database and develop a methodology to identify endangered species. We are considering, with the WCMC 31W and the International Tropical Timber Organisation proposals for further work on threatened tropical timber species. This could help the ITTO to meet its environmental objectives.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the World bank and the United Nations Development Programme to encourage their support and sponsorship for the proposed consultative group on the tropical forests action programme.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: We have made clear to the United Nations Development Programme and the World bank that we believe that the tropical forests action programme would benefit significantly from their participation in the proposed consultative forum.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the findings of the investigation conducted into rates of tropical deforestation published on 8 March by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: The FAO estimates the annual global rate of tropical forest loss to be 15.4 million hectares. There is a continuing need for international support for the strengthening of sustainable forest management practices by tropical countries.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evaluation there has been of completed national forest action plans undertaken as part of the revamping of the tropical forests action programme.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: We do not know of any evaluation reports on national forest action plans carried out under the reformed tropical forests action programme.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the African development bank to publish the final version of its new forestry policy.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: We understand that the African development bank intends to submit a draft forestry policy paper to its board of directors in May. The draft will take account of comments received from interested non-governmental organisations on a preliminary draft.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 8 March,Official Report, column 456, if he will publish the results of review and monitoring exercises carried out in respect of British support for the tropical forestry action plan.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: The written reports of monitoring and review of projects under implementation are internal working documents; we do not publish them.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on32W measures so far adopted to improve the performance of the tropical forestry action plan as a result of mechanism's revamping.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: The tropical forests action programme's goal and objectives have been redefined; its operational principles have been revised to give increased emphasis to priorities as seen by tropical countries. There has been a renewed emphasis on consultation with local forest communities and non-government organisations. Action is under way to improve policy analysis and planning capacities in a number of developing countries.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the tropical timber trade seminar attended by Overseas Development Administration and Forestry Commission officials in Brussels on 17 and 18 March.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: The seminar was organised primarily by the Scottish Hardwood Charter and attended by participants from a wide range of countries and interest groups. Many different opinions were expressed on the need for the certification and labelling of sustainably produced timber and how best this might be undertaken.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will publish a list of approved forestry projects supported by the Commonwealth Development Corporation;
(2) if he will publish a list of completed forestry projects to be presented for approval by the board of the Commonwealth Development Corporation before July.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: Details of projects currently supported by CDC are shown in the table. At the moment CDC does not expect any other forestry projects to be considered for approval by the CDC board before July.
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Company Country Activities Usutu Pulp Co Ltd Swaziland Pine plantation and pulpmill Shiselweni Forestry Co Ltd Swaziland Eucalyptus and pine plantations and associated sawmills Tanganyika Wattle Co Ltd Tanzania Wattle plantation and factory and tea plantations Kilombero Teak Co Ltd Tanzania Teak plantations and natural forest management Kibo Match Corporation Ltd Tanzania Match factory Societe pour le Developpement des Plantations Forestieres Ivory Coast Plantations of fine hardwoods Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation Ltd Zambia Pine and eucalyptus industrial plantations Forest Industries Development Ltd Jamaica Pines and associated processing Kolombangara Forest Products Ltd Solomom Islands Fine hardwood plantations
Company Country Activities Fiji Pine Ltd Fiji Pine plantations and sawmill operation Tropik Wood Industries Ltd Fiji Pine sawmills and wood chip processing Soon Hua Seng Group Thailand Eucalyptus plantations with village participation
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the African development bank in relation to the adoption of that organisation's new forestry policy.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 2 April 1993]: We have supported the African development bank's intention to adopt a forestry policy and to involve informed non-governmental organisations in preparation of the draft policy paper.