MPs hear of wood supply concerns

WOOD panel maker Norbord has joined a high profile independent working group to discuss the challenges facing one of the UK’s largest manufacturing sectors.

The firm, which has a plant in Morayhill near Inverness, hosted the first meeting of a working group set up by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the wood panel industry.

Topics discussed included the challenges faced by the wood panel sector as a result of the lack of security of domestic wood supply; the impact of the biomass industry on the availability of wood; and how the industry will meet UK demand for wood panel products post Brexit.

Norbord director Steve Roebuck said: "Maintaining a positive wood supply balance is crucial to us as a business, so it’s important that we’re involved in discussions around the issues facing the sector.

"We will continue to develop parliamentary proposals that will help to support the sector and the industries it feeds into, including construction, furniture, packaging and transport.

"I hope that our contribution will help to address some of the current issues and preserve the longevity of the sector."

Together, the Wood Panel Industry Forum’s (WPIF) members – Norbord, Egger and Kronospan – have a combined gross added value in excess of £850 million a year with 7500 direct and indirect jobs dependent on the industry.

The wood panel manufacturing sector currently uses the equivalent of 25 per cent of the 11 million tons of wood delivered from UK forestry every year, with WPIF members suppling approximately 65 per cent of the total UK annual consumption of wood-based panels.

The first meeting of the group took place at Norbord’s Cowie site, which directly and indirectly provides work for approximately 1200 people.

Stirling MP Stephen Kerr, who chairs the APPG, said: "Our discussions so far have given me a fantastic insight into the issues facing an industry that is so important to my constituency in Stirling. It’s great to hear facts and opinions from industry representatives who are at the forefront of wood panel supply and manufacturing, and it’s clear that there is significant work to be done in terms of preserving this sector for the future.

"I’m looking forward to working with the members of the group to formulate proposals which we will present to parliament."

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