The Secretary of State for International Development met Baroness Eaton, Chair of the Local Government Association, on 16 November 2010. During the meeting, the contribution of expertise that exists within local government in the United Kingdom to international development was discussed. The Secretary of State encouraged the Local Government Association to write directly to the Department to outline their offer in the field of international development.Experts from local governments already make a significant contribution to development, including having members in the new Stabilisation Cadre. The Department for International Development is supporting the Commonwealth Local Government Forum's Good Practice scheme which also capitalises on existing expertise in local government.