§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's policy is on the use of peat in and around the Millennium Dome. [103010]
§ Janet AndersonA variety of new and exciting gardens and landscape installations are being constructed on and around the Millennium Experience site. Some of these are being constructed by NMEC, and some by English Partnerships as part of the long-term legacy of the site. In the case of soil mixes and topsoil, `greenwaste' is being used. This is based on recycled cuttings, taken in spring/ autumn and mulched, then composted for 4–6 months and does not contain peat. In the case of mulch and hydroseed, this is specified as peat free. Suppliers are able to propose their own product to meet this specification, so a variety of options have been used, but generally products based on chopped paper or something of this nature will be the most common solution. NMEC cannot make an absolute commitment to be "peat free", as soils attached to plants procured from commercial nurseries could contain small quantities of peat.
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