Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's consultation on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies published in November 2019 and updated in January 2020, when the Government will set out its plans to ban the import of hunting trophies.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, there will be a delay in publication of the summary of responses of the consultation and call for evidence on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies. We are, however, continuing to work on this important area and will publish the summary of responses as soon as it is practical to do so.

The international trade in wildlife is a complex matter, touching on environmental, social, and economic aspects. There are strong rules in place, both in the UK and internationally, to ensure any such trade is sustainable. We will remain at the forefront of ensuring these are sufficient, including through our active participation in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) where we have pushed for strong restrictions on trade in endangered species where such trade is shown to contribute to a species’ decline. In addition, the UK remains a global leader in combatting the illegal wildlife trade.