§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products of(a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies ensures that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources. [141345]
§ Mr. CaplinThe Ministry of Defence has addressed issues about timber through the introduction of a Defence Contract Condition (DEFCON Number 691) in August 2002. This Contract Condition has three main aims: to inform contractors of the Government policy to procure timber and products containing wood from 277W legal and sustainable sources; to introduce a contractual obligation to comply with that policy; and to ensure collection of data. The Contract Condition is used in appropriate contracts by the Department and is available for use by MOD agencies.