§ Lord Fisherasked Her Majesty's Government:
How "stolen" Appendix I birds are dealt with under the Endangered Species Act 1976; and how many such birds were reported stolen in (a) 1990; (b) 1991; (c) 1992; and (d) in the first six months of 1993.
§ Lord StrathclydeThe import, export and sale of birds listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are subject to the requirements of EC Regulation 3626/82, not the Endangered Species Act 1976. The regulation does not require the department to establish the legal ownership of specimens and the department does not maintain a register of stolen birds.