Travis Perkins is the latest company to suspend all purchases of Indonesian rainforest plywood due to concerns over its legality.

Its decision follows a Home Office admission to a Parliamentary Committee on July 2 that use of Indonesian plywood at its Marsham Street construction site constituted a failure to implement government timber procurement policy.

Jane McTaggart, the green minister for the Home Office, said she regretted that the department got it wrong, adding that the Home Office had misunderstood government rules on timber procurement.

Travis Perkins responded to Greenpeace protests at 24 of its stores in June by saying it would send independent forestry auditors to Indonesian mill sources. It has now gone one step further with the decision to suspend purchases from Indonesia, a move already made by Jewson in early June which pledged to stop buying Indonensian plywood by the end of 2003.

&#8220We have been concerned about the issue of Indonesian plywood for some time and therefore decided to verify what was going on on the ground”

Travis Perkins planning director Ian Goldsmith

Travis Perkins planning director Ian Goldsmith told TTJ: “We have been concerned about the issue of Indonesian plywood for some time and therefore decided, together with an auditing firm, to verify what was going on on the ground.

“Initial reports leave us with some questions as to whether all of the timber can be proven to be from legal sources. We have every intention of continuing with the audit programme and shall be encouraging our suppliers to put mechanisms in place to guarantee legality and sustainability.”

Andy Tait of Greenpeace said: “The rest of the UK timber trade has to stop kidding themselves that they can continue business as usual with Indonesia. The only option is to stop all purchases until independently certified timber becomes available.”