Each of the main UK parties has made strong commitments to the timber and forestry sectors.
The pledges came in a pre-election quizzing by the Confederation of Forest Industries’ Forestry and Timber News magazine.
Liberal Democrat shadow minister for countryside and rural affairs Tim Farron said his party was “committed to promoting wood and wood products as an excellent low carbon and sustainable alternative to high energy products such as steel”.
He added that a Lib Dem government would provide cheap loans for small-scale biomass energy plants. It would also press for it to be made illegal to import and sell illegally felled wood in the EU.
Conservative shadow Jim Paice said his party would reverse policy which had led to “forestry shifting entirely away from commercial activity towards amenity and recreation”. His party was “also looking at ways of stimulating use of timber in construction, possibly by putting some value on that carbon”.
Labour natural environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies said he wanted to accelerate growth in UK tree cover. His party would also “keep working to stimulate timber and wood fuel businesses by promoting partnership between industry bodies and bringing timber from public forests to market”.
