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Rail Link (Ealing)
10.3 pm
Mr. Harry Greenway (Ealing, North): I beg leave to present a petition from the people of the constituency of Ealing, North, which states:
- "the constituency of Ealing, North declares its strong support for Harry Greenway, Member of Parliament for Ealing, North, in his opposition to plans to establish a rail link from the Midlands to the Channel Tunnel which would cut through the borough of Ealing.
The rail link would run through seven areas of Metropolitan Open land and Green Belt, including the Perivale Wood and Islip Manor and would vastly increase railway traffic to five heavy freight trains per hour with the noise and pollution that this would bring."
The proposal has incurred enormous opposition from my constituency and myself, because, although we all want to see freight move from road to rail, we do not wish to see pollution of such open areas of land as remain within the borough of Ealing, particularly those in Perivale and Northolt. We could not support a railway operation of this magnitude running within inches of people's homes, to the detriment of their lives.
My constituents have proposed this petition with my strong support. The petition is signed by hundreds of thousands of people.
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.--[Mr. Wood.]
Mr. Bill Etherington (Sunderland, North):
I am pleased to have the opportunity to introduce tonight's Adjournment debate. In the pre-Jopling days, it was always a pleasure to raise such debates towards the end of the Session. To some degree that opportunity has been lost, although we have some additional debates on Wednesday mornings.
First, I am not a spokesman for Friends of the Earth. I do not belong to that organisation and I do not agree with it in every respect, however I entirely agree with its stance on the importation of mahogany into Britain, which is based on a shameful trade that does no credit to the Brazilian Government or the British Government.
As hon. Members will be aware, most mahogany comes from Brazil. We are the second largest importer of Brazilian mahogany. Only the United States imports more. I consider what is taking place in Brazil to be deeply shocking and quite disgraceful. I hope that the Government will use their best endeavours within the European Union and in conjunction with the United States to redress the wrongs that have been perpetrated on the people of Brazil, especially the Indian population.
We have heard much about voluntary arrangements. My view is that voluntary arrangements involving Governments and private enterprise are totally unsatisfactory. The only arrangements that have a semblance of working properly are those with the backing of statutory powers. The carnage that takes place in Brazil in order to obtain mahogany is one of the worst examples of voluntary arrangements that anyone could imagine.
Accessible areas are already heavily depleted and, as the wood becomes harder to reach, vast tracts of the countryside are being despoiled to make roadways into more remote areas. Timber is even being procured from reserves that were originally set aside for the indigenous people and the wildlife. Unfortunately, it appears that the British Government are prepared to put all the blame on the Brazilian Government. Although that is true in a superficial sense, it does not alter the fact that we should do much more to redeem that deplorable state of affairs.
There have been clashes between the indigenous population and the logging fraternity, often resulting in fatalities. That is completely unacceptable. If the price of mahogany coming to Britain is the death of people in Brazil, I do not want Britain to import mahogany. I expect that most people would agree with that, but the Government do not see it that way.
Friends of the Earth has joined forces with more than 100 environmental and human rights groups in Brazil. I would have thought that would have had some impact. However, the 100 groups that are working together in Brazil receive no help whatsoever from the British Government.
It is appalling that although fairly recently it almost became possible, with the help of the British Government, to place mahogany in a different category, in which it would have received full protection, the attempt failed because the measure could not achieve a two-thirds majority of the countries involved.
Both the Brazilian and the British Governments, like all those involved in the timber industry, have known for many years that beyond doubt illegal mahogany trading takes place. However, as always under the Conservative Government, the interests of industry are paramount and humanitarian factors take second place. The Government have steadfastly resisted calls for regulation. I shall not repeat what I have said about self-regulation, because everyone with any sense knows that that is a dead duck.
In 1993, following pressure from environmentalists, some logging companies in the Brazilian state of Para and the United Kingdom National Hardwood Association signed an agreement known as the AIMEX agreement. That was all very laudable. The only problem is that it does not work. Only legally obtained mahogany is supposed to be traded, but nothing has changed. The illegal trade is as bad as ever.
Many timber companies hide behind that agreement, citing their support for the AIMEX accord to allay public concern about the illegal mahogany trade. The accord hides the fact that the wood continues to be stolen from Indian lands, often with terrible consequences.
Information has been obtained from the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Natural Resources--IBAMA--from the Brazilian National Indian Foundation--FUNAI--and from the district attorney's office, and the proof is there beyond doubt. No one denies it, but still there is no action.
It seems that the IBAMA, the regulatory body involved--if we can call it regulatory; monitoring body sounds more appropriate--has withheld information on the illegal activities. Logging in indigenous reserves contravenes the Brazilian constitution, which makes commercial activities in those reserves illegal. Still this country imports timber, knowing full well that it has been illegally gained.
The violence against the Indians is perhaps the most appalling feature. There have been five murders and numerous cases of aggression, with people being battered and damage to Indian property. Still it goes on. I have not heard a whimper from the Government about it.
What makes things worse is the fact that the Brazilian Government are content to go along with the situation. Prosecutions for illegal timber trading have been few and far between. Friends of the Earth has obtained an appalling detailed document about the carnage that takes place.
The Brazilian Ministry of Justice has been involved, and has been informed that there were 300 invaders in the Sarare indigenous area, including 30 logging companies that were taking timber illegally. That seems almost like a form of land piracy--the sort of thing that occurred in years gone by when people were attacked on the high seas and their goods seized and illicitly disposed of. What is going on has all the hallmarks of that type of activity. The position is now desperate.
The FUNAI president sent a memo asking for 15 agents of the Brazilian Government to be sent to the Kayapo area to help the Indians evict the loggers. But it seems that the Brazilian Government have neither the political will nor the resources to put their own house in order.
That does not excuse the United Kingdom Government, who willingly comply with the situation and continue to allow the imports. In a country that prides itself on being civilised and talks about being environmentally responsible, the British citizenry have every right to expect a more forthright attitude.
Why cannot the British Government consult the United States and see if they can do something? At one time, the United States objected to the trade, but unfortunately--a bit like in Britain--once a few multinationals put pressure on the Government, the will to do something seems to evaporate. I would like to think that my country is prepared to stand up and do something about it, but that seems to be wishful thinking on my behalf at the moment.
I could go on at great length about the deaths and murders and the fact that ill-protected Indians living in fairly primitive conditions are being treated in a disgraceful manner by the loggers--that is the term that is used for those people.The situation is deplorable.
As recently as tonight, I received a letter from another group--Earth Care--asking me what I am prepared to do about a similar situation in central Africa. What am I supposed to do? I am just a humble Back Bencher. I look to the Government--not one I have a lot of faith in--to do something about the problem, but action does not seem to be forthcoming. It is about time that a little more emphasis was placed on the Government combining with the European Union, which is the most powerful trading organisation on earth, to bring some pressure to bear on the Brazilian Government and coerce them into fulfilling their responsibilities.
If Conservative central office is to be believed, which is always questionable, I understand that it will not be too long before Brazil overtakes this country in terms of prosperity. If that is the case, we need to act quickly. Once it has overtaken us, we will be listened to even less.
Obviously, the management plans of the Brazilian Government are not working. They need a little moral support and pressure. Among this pile of information here, I have a deplorable letter from the Overseas Development Agency, which virtually states that there is nothing to be done. I do not underestimate the fact that, in specific terms and speaking constitutionally, the Government have raised some fairly half-hearted objections. I have here a copy of a reply from the ODA to Friends of the Earth, dated 17 July, which makes grim and depressing reading. As always, the Government share the concerns about the environment, but once again, the letter states that they
The only encouraging thing in the letter is that there appears to have been a change of Ministers in Brazil and the new man is prepared "to revamp" the situation and
The letter to Friends of the Earth is from John Moncrieff of the environment policy department of the ODA. He states that it would be useless to go to the European Community. It would be because it has been wound up for quite a long time--it is now the European Union and I am surprised that official Government documentation still talks about the European Community.
There is one little bit of brightness on the horizon. The letter also states:
The petitioners request that the Secretary of State for Transport and Members of the House of Commons reject these proposals of Central Railways.
The Petitioners remain ever more.
10.4 pm
"continue to believe that primary responsibility for ensuring that mahogany extraction is carried out lawfully rests of course with the Government of Brazil."
That seems to mean that nothing much will be done.
"crack down on illegal trading in natural resources, including mahogany."
23 Jul 1996 : Column 258
I hope that the United Kingdom Government will give him some encouragement in his quest.
"The Government does however share your concern about this species and will continue to monitor trade and take action if necessary."
Although the whole affair is a catalogue of depression and disaster, I do not want to be too carping and take away from the United Kingdom Government the fact they have gone through some fairly half-hearted motions and have agreed in writing that something should be done. The Government say that they agree that something should be done. I want the Minister to give me some reassurance that this country will try some action.
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