The committee has until June 21 to discuss and amend elements of the ivory bill that will mean a near total ban on the sale of ivory.
The first two sessions of committee will be the Public Evidence sessions and will take place today at Portcullis House followed by detailed consideration of the bill on June 14 and 19.
Amendments proposed by MPs to the bill will be published daily. Following committee stage the bill will return to the floor of the House of Commons for the report stage and third reading. Following this it will progress to the House of Lords.
The bill was launched in parliament on May 23 and passed its second reading in the House of Commons on June 4 with unanimous support. MPs raised a number of potential changes to the bill including clarification of the legal definitions of exemptions, funding for the Wildlife Crime Unit and Border Force ahead of the changes to the law, and the potential to widen the ban from elephant ivory to include other ivory-bearing species.
Antiques dealer association BADA continues to fundraise for the potential of a legal challenge to the bill. Anyone wishing to support the action should contact Mark Dodgson, BADA secretary general on 020 7589 4128 or email mark@bada.org.
Ivory Bill Committee:
Chairs:
Mark Pritchard and Steve McCabe
Members:
Lisa Cameron, Alex Chalk, Robert Courts, Mims Davies, Thangam Debbonaire, Michelle Donelan, Trudy Harrison, Sue Hayman, Simon Hoare, Pauline Latham, Kerry McCarthy, Luke Pollard, David Rutley, Henry Smith, Alex Sobel, Anna Turley and Liz Twist.
