TIMBER USED IN GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS

Early day motion 1145, tabled 17 April 2002 by Paul Marsden (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 27 members.

That this House urges the Prime Minister to reconsider his view stated on 10th April that the sapele timber used in the refurbishment of the Cabinet Office in Whitehall 'is indeed certified as sustainable, so Greenpeace's campaign is misconceived'; further notes that the Deputy Prime Minister has stated that the timber was 'from legal and sustainable sources, purchased under certified logging schemes'; is concerned that the French company Vicwood-Thanry supplies the wood from Cameroon, which according to the Timber Trade Federation has no certified sapele schemes and has one of the world's least stable eco-systems; condemns the company for repeated offences including, anarchic logging, cutting undersized trees and logging outside legal boundaries which have resulted in one million pounds of fines since March 2000; congratulates Greenpeace for raising public awareness on the issue; and demands that the Prime Minister reviews all Government contracts to ensure that only genuine sustainable wood is used in government building contracts.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 22, Plaid Cymru 2, Independent 1, Labour 1, UUP 1.