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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the export of ivory from the UK.

The government announced its proposals on October 6 to introduce a total ban on UK sales of ivory and the import and export of ivory for sale to and from the UK, that could contribute either directly or indirectly to the continued poaching of elephants. Consultation on the proposals, which include some carefully defined and narrowly targeted exemptions runs until 29 December, and we will publish a response soon after.