§ Mr. HanleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent his Department uses recycled paper or provides paper for recycling.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonMy Department does not use recycled paper for general stationery purposes for reasons of financial economy since it is significantly more expensive than paper of comparable quality made from new material. However, some other paper products supplied by Her Majesty's Stationery Office — for example, manilla, toilet tissue and sacks — contain varying but significant elements of recycled waste.
The Department's waste paper is usually collected and pulped by contractors, restricted or sensitive material being shredded under HMSO supervision. I understand that both these grades of waste go for recycling.