§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the consultation documents issued by her Department in each of the last four years; what the cost was of producing each of these; how many documents were issued in each consultation; and how many responses were received in each consultation. [124574]
§ Alun MichaelDefra believes that policy development should be carried out in close consultation with stakeholders. Formal consultation documents are only part of this process, which can also include, for example:
- stakeholder meetings;
- listening events/public meetings;
- web forums;
- public surveys;
- focus groups;
- regional events;
- free-phone and freepost surveys and events;
- targeted leaflet campaigns; and
- roadshows and exhibitions.
The specific information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, a list of all written consultations exercises carried out by Defra since its formation, including copies of the documents, can be obtained from the Department's website at: www.defra.gov.uk in the section entitled "Consultations".