WHALING

Early day motion 1537, tabled 19 July 2004 by Lindsay Hoyle (Labour). Signed by 80 members.

That this House notes that the International Whaling Commission is holding its 56th annual meeting, taking place from 19th to 22nd July; deplores the actions of Japan, Norway and Iceland who ignore the 18-year international moratorium on the killing of great whales and continue to hunt down hundreds of whales each year; further expresses outrage at Japan's efforts to recruit small nations to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), using overseas aid as a bargaining tool, in order to overturn the current in-built majority on the IWC in opposition of whaling; and calls on the British Government to do everything it can at the current meeting of the IWC to maintain a ban on whaling and bring pressure to bear on whaling countries to put an end to their activities and provide greater protection for whales.

Signatures by party: Labour 52, Liberal Democrat 13, Labour/Co-operative 6, Conservative 4, Plaid Cymru 3, Scottish National Party 2.