Ministerial Meetings
Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Gareth Thomas (Harrow West, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many meetings she has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector businesses and (d) small and medium-sized private sector businesses since May 2010; and if she will make a statement.
Richard Benyon (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Natural Environment and Fisheries), Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Newbury, Conservative)
We do not keep records for the categories used in this question. However, between April 2011 to date, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend Mrs Spelman, has met with more than 13 organisations with charitable links and nine representatives of private companies.
Quarterly returns of all ministerial meetings are published on our website, following Cabinet Office guidelines and from May 2010 to March 2011 can be found at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/who/ministers/transparency/