§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received concerning the establishment of a labelling system of ape-friendly products for imports which have not resulted in the destruction of ape habitats. [148833]
Mr. Robert AinsworthThis Department has received 24 letters in support of a campaign launched in September 2000 by the Ape Alliance, calling for direct action to help conserve great apes, including the labelling of timber products from forests harvested in an environmentally responsible manner. Advice provided in my Department's "Green Guide for Buyers" and on our internet website, actively encourages buyers to purchase timber products from sustainably managed sources, and we are also investigating additional ways to help buyers to identify such products.
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