ILLEGAL TIMBER

Early day motion 29, tabled 23 November 2004 by Tim Yeo (Conservative). Signed by 80 members.

That this House recognises the importance of tropical rainforests in the balance of the global climate; notes the threat posed by illegal felling; believes that Britain should not be the recipient of illegally-logged timber; further believes that all timber used in Government projects should be supplied from certified sustainable sources; notes that the sapele timber used in the refurbishment of the Cabinet Office was from Cameroon, for which no recognised certification scheme exists; is concerned that the Government also used Indonesian rainforest plywood in its new Home Office building; and urges the Government to honour its pledges and cancel unsustainable timber contracts and ensure that all suspect shipments are properly investigated and seized where appropriate.

Signatures by party: Conservative 58, Liberal Democrat 9, Labour 7, UUP 2, Independent 1, Independent Conservative 1, Labour/Co-operative 1, Plaid Cymru 1.