Stephen McPartland MP is chair of the All Party Parliamentary Furniture Industry Group. He launched a report by Stevenage-based FIRA earlier this year that shows how government subsidies forbiomassis increasing the price of wood used for furniture production, with prices rising by 55.1% over the past 5 years.
The furniture industry, which generates £7.3 billion of GDP (almost 3 per cent of Britain’s manufacturing output), is calling for the government to call a halt to these subsidies now and seeks a comprehensive review as to their impact on industry sectors such as furniture.
