Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in India on changes to domestic legislation effecting Asian elephants habitats and other biodiversity.

The UK Government is working closely with India to strengthen collaboration on nature, including through our Forests Partnership which is focused on forest and biodiversity conservation. A joint working group between UK and Indian officials took place in July, and through this partnership officials continue to engage with Government of India interlocutors on a range of issues related to biodiversity, including the impacts of changes to any legislation. The Secretary of State for Defra also recently attended the G20 Climate and Environment Ministerial Meeting in India, where discussion on biodiversity and nature featured prominently.