§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to raise the issue of whaling with the Japanese Government at this year's G8 summit in Okinawa. [118361]
§ Mr. MeacherWe do not believe there is justification for any whaling, other than some subsistence whaling by indigenous people. We would like to see all other forms of whaling ended through a permanent, worldwide ban. We strongly believe that all discussions on whaling should be left to the International Whaling Commission as the primary international body for dealing with the management and conservation of whales, and we firmly support their current moratorium.
The Japanese Government are fully aware of these views. Whaling is regularly raised at official and ministerial meetings with them, and the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain), wrote to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in December 1999 to protest at Japan's so-called "scientific whaling" and reiterate the UK's position. The Government have no 6W plans to raise the issue of whaling with them at the G8 summit on 21-23 July. However, as the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin), explained to the House on 21 March 2000, Official Report, column 167WH, we shall be firmly resisting Japanese attempts to downgrade the protection given to whales both at the CITES Conference of Parties on 10-20 April and at the IWC meeting on 3-6 July.