§ 27. Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he is setting in train to prevent plant species extinction, following the publication of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature red list of threatened plants compiled by the world conservation monitoring centre; and what funding he is providing for the sustained updating of the red list. [39532]
§ Angela EagleI have asked the Department's statutory advisors, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, to consider in detail theIUCN Red List of Threatened Plants, which indicates that over 33,000 plant species are under threat of extinction worldwide, and to advise me on the conservation status of the UK plant species identified in the Red List. I will write to my hon. Friend once I have had an opportunity to consider in detail the Committee's advice.
My Department has not been approached by IUCN or the World Conservation Monitoring Centre for funding towards the updating of the Red List. As UK State Member of IUCN my Department already contributes £155,000 as its annual subscription to IUCN. In February 1998 my Department offered IUCN £75,000 towards the costs of establishing a Species Conservation Centre in the UK including the appointment of a Red List officer.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his oral answer of 31 March 1998,Official Report, column 492, what steps he is taking to enforce rigorously the controls relating to CITES listing of species with particular reference to Amazonian (a) fauna and (b) flora listed in the recent international plants red list. [39479]
§ Angela EagleEnforcement of CITES import and export controls rests with HM Customs and Excise, whose officers are trained in the requirements of the EU Regulation which implements CITES within the Community. The Regulation applies stricter measures than those required by CITES, on the basis of the advice from Member States' scientific advisors drawing on a variety of sources, including the red data lists produced by the IUCN. Customs officers are aware of those areas and species which pose the greatest risk in terms of illegal trade.
Internal controls on the wildlife trade are enforced by the police. My Department co-operates closely with them and HM Customs through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW), which provides a strategic overview of wildlife law enforcement in the UK.
313WMy Department and HM Customs recently launched the second phase of a major publicity campaign to alert holiday makers and business travellers to the rules governing international trade in endangered species. "Check it Out" posters are on display in the major UK airports. Leaflets providing general advice and details of a telephone inquiry point are being distributed with travel tickets and are available at a number of airport retail outlets.
We have also organised several events to discuss ways of furthering the fight against wildlife crime. These include the annual two day Police Wildlife Liaison Officers Conference and the EU Wildlife Law Enforcement Workshop which my Department hosted in March this year as part of the UK's Presidency of the EU. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister also chaired the informal summit of G8 Environment Ministers earlier this month, which agreed a package of measures to crack down on environmental crime.