A cross-party group of 32 MPs and members of the House of Lords has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, urging the Government to treat timber as a strategically important national resource and to act to strengthen Britain's home-grown supply.

The letter, sent on Tuesday, 10 November, backs the Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor) campaign Timber Security is National Security. It is the campaign's most significant parliamentary intervention so far, according to Confor.

Britain imports more than 80 per cent of its timber

The UK currently imports more than 80 per cent of the timber it uses, making it the world's second-largest net importer of timber behind China. The letter warns that this dependence leaves the country exposed to global supply disruption, geopolitical instability and growing international demand for wood.

It states: "Timber security is not solely a forestry issue. It is a housing issue. It is an industrial strategy issue. It is a resilience issue. And increasingly, it is a national security issue."

Five measures proposed to ministers

The parliamentarians set out five measures for the Government, including formally including timber supply metrics within the National Security Risk Assessment and setting up a cross-government Timber Security Taskforce reporting to the Cabinet Office. The taskforce would coordinate the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, HM Treasury, the Department for Business and Trade and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Ben Lake MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Forestry and Timber Security, said the UK remained "overwhelmingly dependent on imports" for a resource fundamental to the economy. He said the issue "deserves far greater attention across Government" and called for cross-departmental action and a clear, coordinated strategy that recognises the importance of domestic forestry, supports investment in productive woodland and ensures the UK can meet more of its future timber needs.

Support across party lines

Signatories listed by Confor include Dr Zubir Ahmed MP, Dr Scott Arthur MP, Richard Baker MP, Lord Cameron of Dillington, Gregory Campbell MP, Irene Campbell MP, Mohammed Yasin MP and Baroness Young of Old Scone. Confor said the breadth of support showed the issue crossed party boundaries and deserved a serious response from ministers.

Lillian Jones MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Wood Panel Industry, said strengthening domestic timber supply was "not simply about planting more trees" but about supporting the industries that turn the resource into the products the economy depends on. She said the Government had an opportunity to recognise wood processing as a strategic manufacturing sector and give businesses greater confidence to invest in jobs, skills and capacity.

Campaign launched in March

Confor launched its Timber Security is National Security campaign on 18 March 2026, alongside a report titled Timber: An Issue of National Security and Economic Resilience, which was launched in the House of Commons. The organisation said it has now engaged with more than 75 MPs and attracted hundreds of signatures to a public petition.

Stuart Goodall, chief executive of Confor, said growing parliamentary support showed that timber security was gaining traction beyond the forestry sector. "We import more than 80 per cent of the timber we use, yet we have the land, expertise, businesses, potential investment and workforce capable of producing much more of this essential resource here in the UK," he said. "At a time when the Government is rightly concerned about national security, economic resilience and delivering new homes, it makes little sense to leave timber supply out of the conversation."

Confor argues that increasing domestic timber production could support housebuilding and manufacturing, create rural jobs, attract investment and contribute to the transition to a lower-carbon economy. The organisation is now calling on ministers to work with politicians and industry on a long-term approach to increasing Britain's timber security.