Meetings
Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Gareth Thomas (Harrow West, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates (a) she, (b) Ministers and (c) senior officials in her Department have met representatives of (i) the Institute for Public Policy Research, (ii) the Taxpayers' Alliance, (iii) the Institute of Economic Affairs, (iv) ResPublica, (v) the Centre for Social Justice and (vi) Policy Exchange; and if she will publish the minutes and agendas of these meetings.
Richard Benyon (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Natural Environment and Fisheries), Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Newbury, Conservative)
I met representatives of Policy Exchange in November 2010. This was an introductory meeting, and no formal minutes were taken. I also spoke at a Policy Exchange event, in July 2011 on the subject of protecting rivers and wider water issues. Details are available on the Policy Exchange website.
No other meetings between either DEFRA Ministers or senior officials in core DEFRA (Permanent Secretary and Directors-General) and representatives of above organisations have been held since May 2010.
All meetings held by Ministers and the Permanent Secretary with external organisations are published regularly on the Department's website:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/who/ministers/transparency
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