Will the Minister make a statement on the availability of construction grade Welsh timber over the next 10 years?
Answered by Minister for Climate Change | Answered on 14/10/2021
The latest Forestry Statistics show an average annual softwood availability in Wales of 1.98m m3 overbark standing in the period 2022-2026, falling to 1.55m m3 in 2027-31. This is a maximum harvestable volume.
Meeting net zero, particularly in the construction sector, will require the use of much more home-grown timber in Wales. We are developing a timber industrial strategy to identify the steps which need to be taken across the supply chain, which will include increasing the proportion of Welsh timber processed to construction grade for long life uses.