§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many import permits her Department(a) granted and (b) refused for species listed on (i) Appendix I and (ii) Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in each year from 1997, broken down by species. [143756]
§ Mr. MorleyThis Department issues over 5,000 import permits each year for a wide range of CITES controlled species. We do not keep precise statistics of the numbers refused but we believe that approximately 1 per cent. are refused on scientific grounds with a further 2 per cent. to1022W 3 percent. refused on administrative grounds (e.g. failure to supply outstanding information or refusal to pay the fee).
The breakdown between Appendix I and Appendix II species is not readily obtainable either. However, Annex A and Annex B of the relevant EC Regulation (338/97) broadly equate to CITES Appendices I and II. In recent years 11 per cent. of the permits issued have been for Annex A species and 89 per cent. for Annex B species.
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department charges for a permit to import species listed on(a) Appendix I and (b) Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. [143757]
§ Mr. MorleyThe charges are as follows:
Fee Plants and Corals Application for fewer than five genera where the import, export or re-export is for commercial purposes £7 per genus Application in respect of five or more genera where the import, export and re-export is for commercial purposes £5 per genus Application in respect of any number of genera where the import, export or re-export is not for commercial purposes £5 per genus Mammals, Birds, Reptiles and Others Application for fewer than five genera where the import, export or re-export is for commercial purposes £10 per species Application in respect of five or more genera where the import, export and re-export is for commercial purposes £8 per species Application in respect of any number of genera where the import, export or re-export is not for commercial purposes £5 per species
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Article 10 certificates her Department granted for the sale of species listed on(a) Appendix I and (b) Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in each year from 1997. [143758]
§ Mr. MorleyArticle 10 certificates are issued under EC Regulation 338/97, which lists all CITES species in Annexes which broadly equate to the CITES Appendices. Annex A is therefore broadly equivalent to CITES Appendix I and Annex B to Appendix II. The Regulation requires the issue of Article 10 certificates only for Annex A species. The numbers of certificates produced for the years in question have been:
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Number 1997 5,738 1998 16,838 1999 14,498 2000 14,308 2001 18,754 2002 16,230 2003 116,150 1 To date. The 1997 figure is significantly lower than the others because the Regulation did not come into effect until I June in that year.