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Tote

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) financial institutions and (b) private equityhouses with which he has discussed the sale of the Tote. [62082]

John Healey: Treasury Ministers discuss a wide range of issues with a variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of policy development and analysis.
 
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As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all these discussions.

Wildlife Souvenirs

Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many wildlife souvenirs have been seized by HM Revenue and Customs each year since 2000; what the item was and from which species the item was derived in each case; and how many such souvenirs were from South Africa in each case. [60218]

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs have interpreted wildlife souvenirs to be animals, plants or products of endangered species.

Details of seizures by HMRC of endangered species listed under Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein from 1999 to 2004 are available on the UK CITES website at www.ukcites.gov.uk/news/tradestatistics.

Seizures are recorded by the following categories : ivory, live animals and birds, parts and derivatives, traditional Asian medicines and other endangered species. The records show the country of origin, expressed sometimes as country whence consigned or country of last export. In some years the code ZA is used for the Republic of South Africa. HMRC records do not identify whether any of the items were purchased as souvenirs.

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