§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list the members of the Panel 2000 Task Force; on how many occasions it has met since its establishment; who was present at each meeting; what was discussed; what work it is currently undertaking; and what conclusions it has reached to date; [142074]
(2) if he will make a statement on the work of the Panel 2000 Task Force; [142075]
§ Mr. BattlePanel 2000 set up in 1997 has included the following:
Sir David John; Lord Alli; Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge; Mr. John Sorrell; Ms Zeinab Badawi; Ms Frances de Souza; Mr. Mark Leonard; Mrs. Shahwar Sadeque; Sir Martin Sorrell; Lord Levy; Lord Paul Marylebone; Ms Judy Simpson; Mr. Martin Bell MP; Mr. Mark Fisher MP; Lord Clinton-Davis; right hon. Peter Mandelson MP; Baroness Blackstone of Stoke Newington; Baroness Chalker of Wallasey; Mr. Tom Buchanan; Mr. Andrew Fraser; Mr. Roger Liddle; Dr. David Quarmby; Ms Ruth Mackenzie; Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC, Sir John Kerr; Sir Michael Jay; Mr. Tom Harris; Ms Claire Evans; Ms Priya Guha; Ms Vivien Life; and Ms Harriet Ware-Austin.
The committee has met five times in plenary sessions, and in working groups on 14 occasions. The majority of Panel 2000 members participate in the main meetings, discussing a strategy to improve the way the UK is seen overseas; looking at the methods and tools to achieve this; examining ways of ensuring that the public and private sectors work together; and considering how the FCO might communicate in a more modern way with the public.
123W Panel 2000 has produced a total of 21 recommendations. A key proposal was the creation of a "Britain abroad task force", to foster more co-ordinated presentation and projection of the UK. We are now establishing such a group. A joint Chair has been appointed as well as a Director and two staff, and an initial strategy for the new organisation is planned to be produced in March 2001.