§ Mr. SykesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the practitioner's guide to wildlife law. [40945]
§ Mr. ClappisonLast November, I launched the partnership for action against wildlife crime, and announced that the Department would make funds available to finance a guide to wildlife law. Through the launch of the partnership, we have established good links between enforcement organisations, identified problems hampering enforcement, and sought ways to overcome them. One problem has been the lack of a comprehensive source of information about the various pieces of legislation protecting wildlife.
Tomorrow, the Secretary of State for the Environment will announce the publication of the guide "Wildlife Crime—a Guide to Wildlife Law Enforcement in the UK" at a major seminar on combating environmental crime, to be held at the QEII conference centre in London. A copy of the guide will be placed in the Library of the House.
The seminar will explore the scope for improving the enforcement of trade measures contained in key international environmental agreements to ensure that the UK is at the forefront of tackling the illegal trade in endangered species, ozone-depleting substances and hazardous waste, and whether lessons learnt in one area can be applied in another.