Parliament Refit Using Illegal Rainforest Timber

Work at the House of Commons is using plywood containing illegally logged rainforest timber from Papua New Guinea, an investigation has revealed. According to environmental NGO Greenpeace, two tonnes of plywood being used to protect stairs, floors and walls during construction work.

Euro-MP Caroline Lucas, who previously campaigned about illegally-logged timber being used in the building of the European Commission’s new Brussels HQ opened in 2004, said Blair must personally intervene to halt work.

“Tony Blair himself must intervene and halt construction work using rainforest timber if he is to retain a vestige of credibility on the environment. The South-East England Green Party MEP added: “If the Government is serious about conserving threatened rainforest habitats around the world it must adopt strict procurement guidelines to ensure illegally-sourced wood is never again used in its own construction projects.

“The use of illegally-logged timber must be stamped out across the country – not just in public construction projects - by enacting and enforcing new legislation to ban its import into the country in the first place.”