The UK is a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which places strict controls on international trade in tigers. We are aware of concerns raised in relation to the illegal trade in tigers and tiger farms and remain fully committed to working with our international partners, including through CITES, to ensure strong protection is in place and to bring an end to the illegal trade in wildlife.

A consultation on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies to and from the UK was undertaken between 2 November 2019 and 25 February 2020. The outcome of the consultation, and the accompanying call for evidence, will inform our next steps and we are continuing to work on this important area.

The Government takes the conservation of endangered species seriously, with imports of hunting trophies into the UK subject to strict controls under the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations.

The UK has adopted stricter national measures for three species, including tigers, than those set out in CITES and in European legislation. The import and export of live wild taken specimens and tiger parts and derivatives, including hunting trophies, is banned.

The UK is also continuing to work hard on the international stage to agree tough, transparent, global standards on trophy hunting to make sure hunting safeguards are of the highest standard and there is no impact on the sustainability of the species concerned. We will continue to discuss this with other countries.

The Government hosted a stakeholder roundtable in May to hear views from all sides of the debate surrounding trophy hunting. Those discussions continue and we are actively reviewing our position on this important issue.

The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to protect endangered animals from unsustainable trade. Senior officials in Beijing and London have discussed the recent adjustment to the 1993 legislation on tiger and rhino products with the Chinese authorities, including concerns that this may weaken protections for endangered animals. We welcome a recent announcement by the Chinese authorities that suggests their recent reversal of this legislation will be postponed until further studies have been completed. We continue to press the Chinese authorities for clarification on whether this will become permanent.

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The UK has stricter measures in place for tigers than those required by the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations and by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Applications for import or export of live captive bred tigers are considered on a case by case basis and need to include full details of the destination and intended use of the animal. The sale of live captive bred tigers in the UK is only permitted where the specimens are to be used for conservation purposes.

These strict measures will continue when the UK leaves the EU.

The UK is investing £36 million between 2014 and 2021 to counter the illegal wildlife trade, including work to reduce demand, strengthen enforcement and ensure effective legal frameworks and develop sustainable livelihoods.

The UK has funded work to help CITES review implementation of its Resolution on the conservation of and trade in tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cats. The UK’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund is supporting several projects featuring tigers, including work in Sumatra tackling illegal wildlife trade across two globally important tiger landscapes and in South East Asia strengthening enforcement.

Institutions such as the Natural History Museum, the Royal Botanic Gardens Research Councils and many British universities are actively engaged in promoting UK conservation expertise globally. This is supported by UK government programmes promoting protection of biodiversity, including the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and Darwin Initiative.

The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to protect endangered animals from unsustainable trade. We hosted a high level conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in London in October, and at that conference China co-hosted a session on combatting the ivory trade following their introduction of a domestic ivory ban. Senior officials in Beijing and London have raised our concerns with China at their recent adjustment to their 1993 legislation on tiger and rhino products. We continue to seek clarification on whether their recent reversal of this legislation will be permanent.

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The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to protect endangered animals from unsustainable trade. We hosted a high level conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in London in October, and at that conference China co-hosted a session on combatting the ivory trade following their introduction of a domestic ivory ban. We are aware of China’s recent adjustment to their 1993 legislation on tiger and rhino products, and are actively seeking a meeting with the relevant department in the Chinese Government to discuss the matter.

I met the Chinese delegation to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) 17^th Conference of Parties, including the Vice Minister of the State Forestry Administration, in London on 21 September 2016 immediately prior to the Conference. Although discussions did not specifically include the commercial breeding of tigers, we did discuss the conservation of a number of species including tigers.

At the Conference the UK, working with Member States of the European Union and other countries, achieved strong outcomes for tigers including the agreement of proposals to scrutinise captive breeding facilities.

I met the Chinese delegation to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Conference of Parties in London immediately before the conference which was held in Johannesburg from 24 September to 5 October 2016. We discussed the conservation of a number of species including tigers.

At the Conference, the UK, working with the Member States of the European Union and other countries, achieved strong outcomes for tigers including agreement to proposed decisions to scrutinise captive breeding facilities, and a regional photographic repository of seized tiger skins to aid enforcement action.

The UK is actively supporting efforts to ensure the survival of tigers, rhino and elephant in the wild and this involves discussions with key range countries.

I attended the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Conference of Parties held in Johannesburg from 24 September to 5 October, where the UK, working with the Member States of the European Union and Asian and African range countries, played a leading role in achieving strong outcomes for tigers, elephants and rhinos that will help ensure their survival in the wild.

For example, the UK engaged with influential tiger range countries such as India to ensure substantial decisions relating to enforcement and tiger breeding facilities were adopted. Through our work as Chair of the CITES Rhino Working Group we discuss conservation and illegal trade issues with both African and Asian countries which have populations of rhino. Elephant and ivory issues formed a significant part of the conference and the UK discussed these issues with a wide range of countries, including a number of African range states. The CITES Conference also adopted decisions in relation to cheetahs which the UK supported although we had no direct engagement in those discussions.

Poaching is a major threat to elephants, rhino and tigers and the UK has played a leading role in efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade. The UK was represented by the Secretary of State at the Illegal Wildlife Trade Vietnam conference, on 17-18 November in Hanoi, where the UK goal is to promote further international practical action on the key themes identified and the commitments agreed at the London Conference in 2014. As part of this we have discussed this matter with a number of key range states, as well as transit and consumer countries.

In December 2013, Defra and the Department for International Development announced a £10 million fund over the period from 2014/15 to 2017/18 to help developing countries tackle the illegal wildlife trade, to be administered by Defra. In March 2015, the Secretary of State for International Development announced that an additional £3 million would be made available for this purpose. Most of this funding is distributed through the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.

Nineteen successful projects from the first round of the UK Government’s Challenge Fund were announced in December 2014. These included a number of projects that aimed to reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products in Asia, build capacity and strengthen law enforcement to combat wildlife trafficking. Challenge Funding directly benefitting tigers includes a £210,000 contribution towards a project strengthening institutional frameworks to combat wildlife trafficking in Indonesia, which is also supporting local communities mitigate human-tiger conflict. The Fund has also contributed over £59,000 to a project producing educational children’s videos in Vietnam, one of which is on tigers, to help reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products.

A second round of the Challenge Fund opened in August 2015. We expect to announce the successful projects from the second round early this year.

The UK Government remains committed to playing a leading international role in tackling the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), including in tigers, and working with our international partners to bring an end to this scourge.

Issues concerning illegal trade in tigers, their parts and derivatives are addressed through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). The UK is an active member of the CITES Working Group on tigers and issues discussed include illegal trade and captive tiger breeding. The Working Group has submitted a report of its work for consideration at the CITES Standing Committee meeting to be held in Geneva on 11–15 January 2016.

The UK has engaged with China, Laos and Vietnam on IWT through two high-level international Conferences on IWT, the first of which was hosted by the UK in London in February 2014 and which was attended by all three countries. China and Vietnam also attended the Kasane Conference on IWT in Botswana in March 2015, in which the UK played an active role. The UK will be providing support to Vietnam to host a third high-level international Conference on IWT, due to take place in late 2016, and will be encouraging Thailand’s participation. The UK’s diplomatic posts also engage with the relevant authorities in all three countries about how best to tackle IWT.

The Government has also committed £13 million to support projects around the world to tackle illegal wildlife trade by reducing demand, strengthening law enforcement and developing sustainable livelihoods for communities affected by IWT, primarily through Defra’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. A second round of the Challenge Fund was launched on 5 August and successful applicants will be notified in early 2016.

A risk assessment was carried out by the Animal and Plant Health Agency but is not currently in a form that would enable it to be published. There are no plans to publish the basis for the decision not to issue a rabies waiver. We will, however, provide the Isle of Wight Zoo with a summary of the basis for that decision on request.

I will certainly do anything I can to help my—[Interruption.]

Q15

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Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight) (Con):

The Isle of Wight zoo is having difficulty importing a tiger. She was cruelly treated in a circus and has now been kept in isolation for nearly two years, despite Belgium being wholly free from rabies. Will my right hon. Friend assist in breaking through this bureaucratic logjam?

Q15

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Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight) (Con):

The Isle of Wight zoo is having difficulty importing a tiger. She was cruelly treated in a circus and has now been kept in isolation for nearly two years, despite Belgium being wholly free from rabies. Will my right hon. Friend assist in breaking through this bureaucratic logjam?

In February 2014, DFID supported the UK-hosted London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT), hosted by the Foreign Secretary and attended by heads of state and ministers from countries around the world affected by this issue. Parties committed to making progress on tackling demand from species threatened with extinction, including the rhino and tiger. In addition, the World Wildlife Fund receives £3 million per annum from a Programme Partnership Arrangement with DFID which supports broader conversation and the safeguarding of ecosystems.