§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings(a) he and (b) his senior departmental officials have had with Enron and its subsidiaries in the last two years. [32429]
§ Ms BlearsI apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 192W.
Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, The Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice for Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.