asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government intend to introduce a ban on the importation of all material containing whale products.

No. As already announced, we have proposed that the European Community should operate a ban on the import of the primary products of all whales from 1 January 1982. This proposal has been favourably received and I understand that the Commission expects to publish shortly a draft regulation for early adoption. It would be difficult, unduly costly and of doubtful extra conservation benefit to extend the controls to cover all material containing whale products.