asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he has taken following the statement by the United Nations conference on Trade and Industry in 1983 on the need to curb the demand for the goods and services that tropical forests supply.

The United Kingdom, together with the other members of the European Community, has joined the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) which entered into force on 1 April 1985 and intends to play an active part in its operations.One of the objectives of the ITTA is to encourage the development of policies aimed at sustainable utilisation and conservation of tropical forests.