Written question asked by Tam Dalyell (Labour) on Monday, 1 September 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 18 September 2003. It was answered by Elliot Morley (Labour) on Thursday, 18 September 2003 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the letter from the former Minister of State for Environment of 16th September 2002 (171977/JW), what action has been taken since April 2003 on the use of magnesium carbonate in the construction industry.

Answer: Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the letter from the former Minister of State for Environment of 16 September 2002 (171977/JW), what action has been taken since April 2003 on the use of magnesium carbonate in the construction industry. [128414] Mr. Morley: BRE (formerly known as the Building Research Establishment) submitted a successful bid in the 2002 DTI Partners in Innovation competition round to carry out an independent assessment of the potential benefits, including those of carbon sequestration and low embodied energy, reported for novel cements such as magnesium carbonate. The research work is due to commence shortly with a completion date of March 2006. The outcome will be a report assessing the technical and environmental performance of novel cements, their cost competitiveness compared to conventional cements, and, if appropriate, their potential use in the UK construction industry.

Secondary information