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Written Answers
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28 JUNE 1990
ave Peking, Dr. Fang and his wife have been giv
to enter the United Kingdom for an initial period of six months, which can be extended. No special conditions apply to this arrangement. Dr. Fang is a distinguished astrophysicist and intends to pursue his academic work for a time here. We warmly welcome the Chinese Government's decision to allow Dr. Fang and his wife to leave, and are glad that we have been able to contribute to a positive solution to this long-standing problem.
KIvory (Hong Kong* нко
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ask the Hong Kong authorities to destroy all current stocks of confiscated ivory; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 14 June 1990]: No. This is a matter for the Hong Kong authorities. There is no obligation under CITES regulations to destroy stocks of confiscated ivory.
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current total of confiscated ivory now held by the Hong Kong authorities.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 14 June 1990]: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 21 June in which I stated that the current total of confiscated ivory held by the Hong Kong authorities was 24 tonnes. There has been no change since then.
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why India and Canada are included as countries of export of seized ivory in his reply of 5 June, Official Report, column 472, but are not listed in his reply of 8 May, Official Report, column 25, as being countries of export of ivory seized by the Hong Kong authorities.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 14 June 1990]: We are making further inquiries with the Hong Kong authorities. X I shall give the hon. Member a substantive answer as soon
as possible.
X
Mr. Tony' Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 5 June, Official Report, column 472, what are the countries of destination for the 702-5 kg of ivory seized in transit by the Hong Kong authorities.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 14 June 1990]: According to the accompanying shipping documents, the intended destination was Macau.
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what grounds the Hong Kong authorities seized 15·5 kg of mammoth ivory imported by Lee Chor Mui from Japan, as detailed in his reply of 8 May, Official Report, column 25.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 14 June 1990]: The mammoth ivory imported by Lee Chor Mui was seized for further investigation because customs officers initially suspected that it might be elephant ivory. Once the ivory had been examined and confirmed to be mammoth ivory, which is not controlled under CITES, it was returned to Lee Chor Mui.
Written Answers
Fico
294
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why no reference was made in his reply of 5 June, Official Report, column 472, to the 15.5 kg of mammoth ivory seized from Lee Chor Mui.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 14 June 1990]: No reference was made in my reply of 5 June to the mammoth ivory seized from Lee Chor Mui because imports of mammoth ivory cannot be identified from Hong Kong Government's trade statistics.
Moreover, as the ivory in question was not elephant ivory, it did not appear in the import statistics compiled by the CITES management authority.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
School Trips (Seat Belts)
Mr. David Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to make the fitting and wearing of seat belts compulsory in minibuses and coaches used for school trips; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth: The responsibility for this matter rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, who is pursuing possible action.
XMusical Education X
Mr. Stern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to protect the level of opportunities for musical education in the light of the current proposals to merge the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music.
Mr. Jackson: The committee which conducted the review of the London music conservatoires was appointed by the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council. The latter has now published the committee's report and invited comment on it by the end of September. It will then be for the council to decide what action to take in the light of the report and of the responses to the consultation on it. My right hon. Friend looks forward to hearing what conclusions the council comes to in due course.
It is clear from its terms of reference that appointing this committee the council had in mind the need "to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of the provision of music education"
in its sector and is seeking to discover how the three London music conservatoires within its aegis
"may be organised so as to train young performing musicians to the highest national and international standard”. Copies of the committee's report have been placed in the Library of both Houses.
School Buses
Mr. Norman Hogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has given to education authorities concerning child safety on school buses; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth: My right hon. Friend works closely with his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on these matters. Two documents have been issued recently. First, "Children and Roads: a Safer Way", which was sent last month to all local education authorities and heads of all schools, sets out the
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