§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has that timber provided by Jewson is obtained from sustainable sources. [83932]
§ Mr. BoatengJewson is committed to the responsible sourcing of timber. Through its parent company, Saint-Gobain Building Distribution Ltd., Jewson is a major member of the Timber Trade Federation and the WWF 95+ Group.
Saint-Gobain Building Distribution has declared that it will not source any timber prohibited under Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Jewson has been actively working toward achieving Chain of Custody for its internal timber supply sites at Hull and Newport. Hull was inspected by The Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA) in October 2002 and is awaiting its formal certification reference, while Newport is due for inspection by TRADA on 18 December 2002.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence is required by the Office of Government Commerce from companies to prove they are obtaining timber from legal and sustainable sources; and if he will make a statement. [83933]
§ Mr. BoatengIn line with the Government commitment made in July 2000 following a statement by the Minister for the Environment, Mr. Michael506W Meacher, the Office of Government Commerce, including OGCbuying.solutions, is actively seeking to ensure all timber supplied through its contracts is from legal and sustainable sources.
Wherever possible third party independent evidence from organisations such as the Forest Stewardship Council and the Timber Research and Development Association is provided. The exact form of this varies from contract to contract.