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The Wood Panels Industry Federation (WPIF) has appointed a new set of parliamentary champions for the industry, with the establishment of a fresh All Party Parliamentary Group, led by Scottish National Party MP, Steven Paterson.
The MP’s heard from Karl Morris, CEO of Norbord Europe, at the inaugural meeting, on the challenges faced by the wood panel manufacturing industry as a result of Government subsidy to the wood burning renewable energy sector.
Director general of the WPIF, Alastair Kerr, said: “We are delighted that we have been able to form a group of MPs which is keen to help the wood panel industry in the UK prosper. We do have concerns about the future availability of domestically-sourced wood and the impact on prices which are being driven higher by increasing demand by the subsidised wood burning renewable energy sector. It is great that we now have a group of MPs willing to take this argument to the heart of Government.”
Karl Morris commented: “The biomass issue is crucially important to resolve for our industry. It is vitally important that we engage Government in the levelling of the playing field with regards to the iniquitous subsidies that are distorting the supply and demand of wood in the UK. The whole premise that woody biomass should be classed a renewable resource for energy is flawed and somehow we need to ensure that our voice is heard.”
The new Wood Panels Industry All Party Group has cross party support, with officers from the three main parties, with Labour represented by Susan Elan Jones MP, Conservatives represented by John Stevenson MP and the Scottish National Party by Steven Paterson MP and Alan Brown MP.
