Timber: Smuggling
Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Andrew Rosindell (Romford, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent the illegal smuggling of endangered hardwoods.

Richard Benyon (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Natural Environment and Fisheries), Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Newbury, Conservative)

We are committed to eliminating illegal timber from the UK market. We will therefore put in place the necessary legislation to implement the provisions of the EU illegal timber regulation in the United Kingdom by 3 March 2013 in accordance with the provisions of the regulation. The regulation prohibits the first-placing of illegal timber on the EU market which will restrict its purchase, possession and sale down the supply chain. Implementation will include putting in place a robust and proportionate enforcement regime, including appropriate penalties. With regard to the trade in endangered Rosewoods and Ebonies from Madagascar the UK CITES (convention on international trade in endangered species of fauna and flora) Scientific Authority for Plants is working with the national CITES authorities to increase international regulation of the trade and to improve mechanisms of detection of illegal trade.