§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if his Department's annual report on timber procurement to the Committee of Green Ministers will be published. [152109]
§ Mr. BayleyThe Department will be publishing its first annual report on sustainable development and the environment later this year and it will contain information on timber procurement. The Green Ministers' annual report will also report on this subject.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much certified timber has been purchased by his Department over the past six months; and what proportion of total timber purchases this represents. [152116]
§ Mr. BayleyThe Department does not yet have a system in place to provide data on the proportion of certified timber purchased over the past six months.
The Department occupies serviced accommodation provided by Trillium. It is the policy of the Department and Trillium to increase the proportion of timber used from certified sustainable sources. The company that supplies timber for maintenance on the estate only accepts claims of environmental sustainability if they are backed by independent inspection.
Trillium is developing an Environmental Management System. In future this will provide the Department with data on timber procurement.