HL Deb 08 March 1993 vol 543 cc45-6WA
Lord Judd

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they are taking to monitor the import of Brazilian mahogany into the United Kingdom in order to ensure that the trade is at all stages legal, that it meets the government's international environmental policies following the 1992 Rio Conference on environment and development and that it is not at the cost of the wellbeing of forest dwellers in Brazil.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

The Government have helped to arrange discussions between representatives of the United Kingdom National Hardwood Association of the Timber Trade Federation and interested bodies in Brazil, including the Brazilian Government, non-governmental organisations and logging companies, with a view to ensuring that all mahogany imported into the United Kingdom from Brazil comes from legal sources.

Through our aid programme we seek to help the Brazilian Government strengthen its policies and management of forests, including measures to enhance the well-being of forest dwellers.