TRUDY Harrison MP has joined the All-Parliamentary Party Group on Timber Industries.

Mrs Harrison is MP for Copeland and is the former Minister for Nature and Natural Land Use in DEFRA.

She was appointed as vice chair following a meeting in December.

Mrs Harrison said: "The APPG for Timber Industries is a fantastic forum for policy and industry, and as the former minister responsible for forestry I look forward to working with stakeholders to promote and expand the use of timber."

The APPG says they act as a forum between policy and industry, hosting a range of events that assist in overcoming the barriers to low-carbon timber construction in the UK.

Their primary purpose is to grow the use of timber to help expand their low-carbon, high-performance offsite manufacturing base for construction, decarbonise the built environment, particularly housing, using wood, create safer and higher quality buildings and building supply chain, and contribute to growing, sustainably managed forests and biodiverse landscapes.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock, chair of the APPG for the Timber Industries said: “Trudy was a real champion for timber during her time as Forestry Minister in DEFRA and was instrumental in the creation of the Timber in Construction Policy Roadmap which is set to be published imminently."