Lord Taylor of Holbeach, who recently assumed ministerial responsibility for domestic timber at Defra, lunched with members of the UK Forest Products Association after its annual meeting at the House of Commons.
Lord Taylor said he had been “very impressed by the forestry and forest products sector and the people he had met in the industry” and was looking forward to seeing more of the industry.
UKFPA members and guests had been welcomed by Anne McGuire, MP for Stirling and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Wood Panel Industry. She highlighted the industry’s concerns about the threat of displacement of wood from the processing sector to large-scale wood fired electricity generating plants.
Gavin Davidson, of Iggesund Forestry (UK) and president of UKFPA, said he hoped the government would take the opportunity to help “revitalise forestry in England”.
UKFPA executive director David Sulman was encouraged by Lord Taylor’s comments. “It is vitally important that the government makes the right decisions in the long-term interests of the country and the industry,” he said.
At the annual meeting, Mr Davidson was re-elected president, Rod Gordon (John Gordon & Son Ltd) re-elected vice-president and Richard Palmer (AW Jenkinson Forest Products), re-elected junior vice-president.
