§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings he held with non-Governmental bodies about transport policy and the Transport White Paper in the three months before the publication of the White Paper; and which of these meetings were attended by employees of professional lobby consultants. [55269]
§ Mr. ByersPrior to the publication of the Government's White Paper "A New Deal for Transport", the Government were keen to hear the views of all interested parties and accordingly consulted widely before any policy decisions were taken. Between 21 August and 14 November 1997, the Government carried out a major consultation exercise resulting in over 7,300 written responses and a number of consultation meetings and seminars throughout the UK. It is intended that this consultation be an ongoing process. In the three months prior to the publication of the Government's White Paper, the Chancellor did not hold any meetings with non-governmental bodies specifically in relation to transport policy.