To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what data the Government collected on timber procurement by central Government prior to 2004. (101736)

DEFRA is not aware of what data on timber procurement were held by individual departments prior to 2004. Departments began to provide DEFRA with data on their timber purchases after July 2000 when the current timber procurement policy was introduced. All the data that were collected centrally by DEFRA are summarised in the Sustainable Development in Government reports, commencing with the 2002 report, which covers the year commencing 1 April 2001. The full reports can be accessed on the SDiG Website at:

http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/publications/index.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information on timber procurement by central Government is collected (a) centrally and (b) departmentally on (i) the (A) species, (B) volume, (C) financial cost and (D) source of timber purchased and (ii) the certification scheme which certified the timber. (101737)

DEFRA has requested departments to report their spend on (a) timber that was certified by a recognised standard such as that of the Forest Stewardship Council and (b) timber that was not certified but had evidence of sustainable and legal sourcing and (c) timber that had no evidence of sustainable and legal sourcing. Departments have not been requested to report on species, volume or source of timber, or by name of certification scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have for data collection by central Government on timber procurement. (101738)

DEFRA plans to commission the Central Point of Expertise on Timber to undertake research and make recommendations on the feasibility of developing new data collection for the reporting of legal and sustainable timber procured by central Government Departments.