HC Deb 17 February 2000 vol 344 cc636-7W
Mr. Reed

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he has taken to ensure that paper and timber products purchased by his Department come from a sustainable source. [110163]

Mr. Lock

The Lord Chancellor's Department includes a requirement in specifications for plain paper, and paper for publications, that any virgin wood pulp is to be sourced from sustainably managed forests. My Department also specifies that all timber products be sourced from independently verified sustainable sources and that no products supplied to us are made from rare woods as classified by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Mr. Reed

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will ensure that paper and timber products purchased by his Department are independently certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as coming from a sustainable source. [110164]

Mr. Lock

The Lord Chancellor's Department already requires all timber and timber products to come from independently verified sustainable sources. No accreditation body is currently specified for certificates, but the supplier of our plain paper is part of a group supporting the verification of forestry management standards via the Forest Stewardship Council accreditation process.