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Written question asked by Caroline Lucas (Green Party) on Wednesday, 24 November 2021, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 26 November 2021. It was answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury (Conservative) on Thursday, 2 December 2021 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Meetings

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to make it his Department’s policy to require expert groups to publish meeting minutes within a certain timeframe following the date of the meeting.

Answer

Expert groups have been invaluable in helping inform environmental target development. They have provided guidance on evidence processes and best available evidence bespoke to individual proposed targets. The discussions held by these groups, such as the Biodiversity Target Advisory Group, Water Expert Advisory Group and Resources & Waste Targets Expert Group, have been informative and complex. We are seeking to publish the minutes of all expert meetings as part of a package of information that explains how target proposals have been developed. This will be published alongside a public consultation on proposed targets in early 2022.

The minutes of all expert group meetings will be made publicly available via the Gov.uk website alongside all existing minutes, and expert group Secretariats will continue to maintain oversight of the drafting and publication of minutes. Given the systems approach to target development, we consider that publishing all the minutes in a tranche will best inform the consultation process.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
80960
Session
2021-22
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Meetings
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk