Illegally Logged Timber (Hansard, 18 April 2002)

§ 37. Sue Doughty
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to tackle the importation of illegally logged timber. [46547]

§ Mr. Meacher
The UK has shown leadership under the G8 Action Programme on Forests in promoting bilateral arrangements with timber producing countries whereby countries work together to tackle illegal logging and associated trade. We are currently negotiating the first of these with Indonesia. We hope that bilateral agreements will lead to regional and, eventually, an international agreement that will have a big impact on illegal trade.

§ Mr. Peter Ainsworth
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many seizures of illegally logged wood have been initiated by her Department in total in the last three years. [48205]

§ Margaret Beckett
[holding answer 10 April 2002]: International trade in some woods is controlled under the terms of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Those species of wood listed in Appendix I & II of CITES, require import permits from the UK before they can be imported. These are issued only where the UK Management Authority (DEFRA) is satisfied that the wood has been legally obtained in the country of origin and has the necessary permit for export from that country. Species listed in Appendix III of CITES do not require import permits. For these species a self-completed import notification form must be presented to HM Customs prior to the arrival of the specimens, together with the relevant export permit(s) or certificate(s) of origin issued by the Management Authority in the exporting country. It is for the Management Authority in the country of origin to decide whether the import has been legally logged. On the basis of these procedures the Department has not initiated any seizures of wood in the past three years.

§ Mr. Peter Ainsworth
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the percentage of rainforest timber entering the United Kingdom which derives from illegal logging. [48320]

§ Margaret Beckett
[holding answer 10 April 2002]: Combating illegal logging requires effort from both timber producing and consuming countries. Timber producing countries are responsible for defining and enforcing the national legislative and regulatory frameworks that define legality.
The Department for International Development (DFID) is working with a number of timber exporting countries to help them improve governance and strengthen forest law enforcement. We are also working to develop capacity for the implementation of timber certification schemes in some producing countries.
Domestically, the UK is working to ensure that the import of endangered timber species is in full compliance with CITES, the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species. We are also implementing a new Government timber procurement policy that seeks to procure forest products only from legal and sustainable sources.
1065W
We estimate that of the total UK timber and timber product imports, less then 10 per cent. is from tropical timber. A reliable estimate of rain forest timber entering the UK that is derived from illegal sources can only be made once chain of custody systems are in place in exporting countries that can verify legal compliance. The Government is in discussion with some exporting countries about the introduction of such systems.