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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are proposing to take to implement the text in Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species (CITES) document CoP17 Com. II. 6 (revisions to CITES Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP16), calling for the end of any domestic ivory trade "contributing to poaching or illegal trade".

We will be working with EU Member States to consider our approach to Resolution 10.10 (Rev Cop16) as amended and any necessary changes to the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations to implement the decisions made at the 17^th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In doing this, we will also draw upon the Council Conclusions on an EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking agreed in June which ask Member States not to export or re-export raw, old ivory from elephants and to consider further measures to stop the commercial trade in ivory, an outcome the UK actively negotiated to secure.

In addition, prior to the CITES Conference on 21 September 2016, Defra’s Secretary of State announced plans for a ban on sales of items containing ivory dated between 1947 and the present day. The Government will consult on plans for the ban early next year. This is a key step forward as we work towards our manifesto commitment to press for a total ban on ivory sales.