---

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many conferences were (a) attended by officials from her Department, (b) cancelled by and (c) facilitated by her Department in each year since 1997; and what the (i) cost to the Department and (ii) location was in each case. [205765] Alun Michael: Conferences organised by the Communications Directorate of Defra in the last three years for which figures are available are as follows. The answer covers the time from the formation of the Department on the 8 June 2001 to 20 December 2004. Records of all conferences carried out by the Department are not held centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. £ _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Event name Cost 2001 Farm Business Recovery--July 2001, Scotch Corner 13,920 Farm Business Recovery--July 2001, Oakhampton 13,860 Farm Business Recovery--July 2001, Carlisle 14,095 Farm Business Recovery--July 2001, Darlington 14,045 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Carlisle 13,870 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Hexham 14,045 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Gloucester 13,860 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Bishop Auckland 14,045 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Penrith 13,870 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Stafford 13,860 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Bromsgrove 13,860 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Barnstable 13,860 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Broughtone 13,870 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Hereford 14,170 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Skipton 14,045 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Carlisle 13,870 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Penrith 13,870 Farm Business Recovery--August 2001, Gisbum 13,870 Farm Business Recovery--October 2001, Middlesbrough 14,045 Waste Management Seminar--November 2001 13,131 2002 Chemicals Stakeholder Forum--2002 4,690 Rural Revival Seminar--June 2002 1,105 SEAC Open Meeting--2002 37,255 Defra Hunting Hearings (three days)--2002 18,143 Eight Regional Events on Sustainable Food and Farming--2002 24,240 Noise Forum Conference--2002 313 Countryside Stewardship Campaign, 10th Anniversary 2,158 Conference--2002 2003 GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) Foundation workshop--2003 78,500 GMO Organised meetings (radio)--2003 5,000 GMO Organised meetings (material)--2003 8,250 GMO Organised meetings (facilitation)--2003 9,600 GMO Organised meetings (launch)--2003 42,344 GMO Reconvened focus groups--2003 55,000 GMO Second tier meetings--2003 23,176 Additional GMO launch meetings--2003 29,176 Flood and Coastal Management Conference--2003 1,360 E-nabling Defra Conference--2003 3,900 England Bio-Diversity Conference--2003 900 Information Management Division Open day--2003 1,405 Better Buildings Summit--2003 26,325 Animal Health and Welfare Stakeholder Event--2003 622 Ethnic Minority Network Conference--2003 7,000 Flood Management Conference--2003 2,022 Rural Services Standard--2003 614 Darwin Lecture--London 2003 1,050 Growing Media Forum Seminar--2003 8,621 Science and Innovation Open Meeting--2003 8,971 2004 Eight Regional TB events--2004 52,000 Sustainable Development Consultation Launch-- London 2004 88,154 Anti-Microbial Resistance Abattoir Survey Meeting-- Weybridge 2004 Awaiting final reconciliation Regional Climate Change Conference--Buxton 2004 Awaiting final reconciliation Climate Change Review Launch--London 2004 Awaiting final reconciliation Chemical Consultation Review Launch--London 2004 3,220 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Notes: 1. No conferences were cancelled. 2. The costs do not include the cost of departmental staff, details of which are not recorded against each conference.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

205765; 429 c719-20W;429 c722-3W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Costs Civil servants Attendance Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Government departments Location Conferences

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk