§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the cost of employee travel on office business, broken down into(a) fuel allowances, (b) unproductive time during travel, (c) other costs related to car transport and (d) costs related to public transport, for (i) 1994–95, (ii) 1995–96, (iii) 1996–97 and (iv) 1997–98. [32450]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 3 March 1998]: The cost of employee travel on official business within the UK in each of the financial years 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 is detailed below. For 1997–98, the figures represent expenditure incurred during the first 11 months of the financial year, i.e. up to the end of February 1998. Information relating to the cost of unproductive time during travel is not recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
(2) what steps he is taking to meet the Government's obligations under Article 8 (j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity in respect of traditional herbal medicine in the United Kingdom; [31505]
(3) if the Government will include plants used in traditional herbal medicine in (a) their assessment of the value of biodiversity and (b) the legal and policy framework for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. [31504]
§ Angela EagleI have been asked to reply.
The Government are playing an active part in international efforts to implement Article 8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity, including by participating in the workshop held in Madrid last November under the auspices of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. We are now coordinating EU preparations for further consideration of the issue at the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to be held in May in Bratislava. Traditional herbal medicines represent a significant area of indigenous and local knowledge, and we are keen to see them receive their due attention in implementation of the Convention. Domestically, the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan identifies plant species in need of urgent conservation action, for which action plans are being drawn up to conserve and enhance their populations, but this selection is made irrespective of a species' significance to herbal medicine.