Member News
18th February 2011
The Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) says the announcement that the government will abandon plans to sell off or lease publicly-owned UK forests is good news for Britain's timber-based industries.
The organisation had warned of its concern that changes to forest ownership proposed under the Public Bodies Bill could have threatened the supply of timber, affecting important manufacturing sectors such as packaging and pallets, which are vital for keeping goods flowing through the British economy.
TIMCON secretariat Stuart Hex said:
"TIMCON is pleased to learn that the government has reconsidered its plans to change ownership of publicly owned forests. The proposals, aside from the issue of access, posed a series of potential threats to British businesses. The government should be commended for listening, and responding to, our concerns.
"Timber pallets and packaging facilitate safe, economical and environmentally sound transport of huge volumes of products every day. Government thinking should always reflect this fact, whether we're dealing with the policies on the sale of British forests, encouraging UK employment or subsidising wood burning as a source of energy."
TIMCON had appealed to politicians to ensure that, should the bill be passed, adequate safeguards for this continuity of supply were put in place. In a letter to the Sunday Telegraph on February 6, 2011, President John Dye wrote: "…, if renewable energy providers buy these forests, we could find ourselves in a situation where harvested logs are burnt immediately instead of making their way into the manufacturing chain, releasing CO2 back into the atmosphere prematurely. As these renewable energy providers are heavily subsidised, this would be a wholly unjustified outcome on both economic and environmental grounds.
"Timber pallets are vital to British business and the smooth movement of product around the world. If the availability of timber is restricted, it could also encourage the use of plastic alternatives – which is patently not an environmentally friendly option."
Hex added:
"We note that the government the option to sell off 15 per cent of British forests in each 4-year spending period remains. Should this happen, TIMCON, and we hope the many other parties interested in protecting usage and access in these areas, will continue to lobby for sensible safeguards to be put in place."
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