I thank my noble friend and understand the point he makes. Like other noble Lords, I commend my noble friend Lady Fookes for her commitment to this Bill and her hard work to support it.
I shall set out the Government’s position on the Bill and speak to the issues raised by a number of amendments. First, as noble Lords will know, the Bill before us would deliver our manifesto commitment to ban the import of hunting trophies from endangered animals. I recognise that this is a controversial proposal in this House, and I accept that there is a range of views and evidence on trophy hunting, including that it can be beneficial in conservation terms and for local livelihoods if well managed. The Government’s position, having listened to a number of different sides and gone through all the options, is that an import ban is the best way forward. An import ban would address the public’s concern about imports of hunting trophies, delivering a policy that is clear, comprehensive and practical to implement and enforce.
This is why we have a problem with the so-called “smart ban” amendments put forward, such as Amendment 14, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Hamilton of Epsom and the noble Earl, Lord Caithness; Amendment 19A, tabled by the noble Earl, Lord Caithness; Amendment 34, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Mancroft; Amendment 39, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Lucas; Amendment 40, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Robathan; and Amendment 41, tabled by the noble Lords, Lord Bellingham and Lord Roborough. What is being proposed in those amendments is effectively a licensing system based on criteria about conservation impact or wildlife management practices and regulations. That is, broadly speaking, what we already have in place. The effect of these amendments would be to negate the purpose of the Bill.
There are a great number of amendments which deal with items in scope of the ban, concerning changes to the definition of a hunting trophy or the species, items or conditions under which a hunting trophy would be subject to the ban. This includes Amendments 3
to 7, 9, 10, 12, 15 to 18, 20 to 28, 31 to 33 and 35 to 38, in the names of the noble Earls, Lord Leicester and Lord Caithness, the noble Lords, Lord Lucas, Lord Hamilton, Lord Swire, Lord Robathan, Lord Reay, Lord Howard of Rising and Lord Roborough, and the noble Viscount, Lord Trenchard.
The definition of a hunting trophy used in the Bill, in Clause 1, is consistent with the definition agreed by CITES and is already used by our authorities for CITES controls. Our current controls would continue for imports that are not hunting trophies. There is already provision in the Bill for consideration of imports for scientific or educational purposes, for example for the import of items for personal use that were not obtained through hunting. The scope of species is clear and comprehensive. Annexes A and B of our wildlife trade regulations implement appendices 1 and 2 of CITES in Great Britain. They cover species at risk from international trade, including elephants, giraffes, rhinos, big cats, bears, primates and hippos.
8.30pm
In future, the import ban would apply to any species newly listed or uplisted to the annexes. I say to my noble friend Lord Swire, who was generous in his words for me, that this Government in no way seek to dictate to other countries—the range states of this species—how they wish to manage wildlife. By covering all animal species in annexes A and B, we are closing down the possibility of permitting an import of a hunting trophy from these species into Great Britain, but if a species is not trophy hunted, legal trade would not be affected by this Bill.
A number of amendments relate to the advisory board: Amendments 2 and 42 to 58, in the names of the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, the noble Lords, Lord Swire, Lord Lucas, Lord Mancroft, Lord Reay, Lord Bellingham and Lord Roborough, and the noble Viscount, Lord Trenchard. Among these are amendments to expand the role of the advisory board or add to the requirements regarding appointments or administration. The advisory board, as noble Lords know, was added in the Commons and it would ensure that the Secretary of State has a clear route to commission expert advice on this issue once the legislation is in force. As drafted, the clause affords the Secretary of State flexibility in commissioning advice, and the design of the board is proportionate and efficient. This will ensure that the advisory board is a way for the Government to get the right advice, rather than establishing a more complicated or far-reaching body than is required.
A number of amendments are concerned with the implementation or enforcement of this legislation or its legal clarity, including Amendment 1 in the name of the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, and Amendments 8, 11, 13, 19, 29, 30, 59, 60, 61 and 62 in the names of the noble Lords, Lord Robathan, Lord Lucas, Lord Mancroft and Lord Reay, the noble Viscount, Lord Trenchard, and the noble Earl, Lord Leicester.
If I could just address the point raised by the noble Lord, Lord Weir, I entirely understand the point he makes, but under the Windsor Framework, EU rules on trade in endangered species, as he says, continue to apply in Northern Ireland. It is a point worthy of note
that strict controls on hunting trophy imports are already in place in Northern Ireland and no permits for importing hunting trophies have been issued since 2018.
I can assure the Committee that we have carefully considered how an import ban would work, and our approach builds on our current CITES controls. We have confidence in these controls, so I am confident that the Bill as drafted can be enforced efficiently and effectively.
Amendment 1, put forward by the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, is, I suggest, not necessary. The Government already have a full range of tools to keep legislation under review and repeal that which is not fit for purpose. This amendment would undermine the implementation of the import ban by compelling a continual review process.
In summary, the Government are confident in the approach and drafting of the Bill before us. For that reason, I will not be supporting Amendment 1, nor any of the amendments tabled. I hope I can persuade the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, to withdraw this amendment.