Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 7 July 2008.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much timber and timber products were procured by her Department and its predecessors originating from independently verified legal and sustainable sources or from a licensed FLEGT partner in each of the last five years; and at what cost.
The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold this information centrally and would only be able to gather it at disproportionate cost. However, the Department actively seeks to buy all wood and wood products (including furniture) from legal and sustainable sources. The Department's Sustainable Operations Policy includes the following clauses:
We will ensure that all wood is either reclaimed, recycled or obtained from legally harvested trees and from sustainably managed forests where possible. From April 2009, we will also ensure that only timber and timber products originating either from independently verified legal and sustainable or from a licensed Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) partner will be used on the estate. The appropriate documentation will be requested from partners to confirm this.
We will follow guidance as applicable from the Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) procurement website, operated by ProForest. We will also put procedures in place to monitor timber procurement policies and exchange information and examples of best practice with other government departments and agencies.
This policy has also been circulated for adoption and compliance to the Department's Executive agencies.
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