AEBC/02/13

FUTURE MEETINGS

Note by the secretariat

1. The next meeting of the Commission is on 11/12 December at the Eden Project, Cornwall. The plan is for the Commission to hold some kind of public event while there. Members will wish to consider what theme that should have. The secretariat and Deputy Chair will then take forward planning with the staff at Eden.

2. It is possible that the AEBC event at Eden could link in to the programme for a national debate which the debate steering board will be overseeing, although the lead-in time for public events in the wider debate means that they would seem likely to occur mostly in the new year. Aspects of the work of the consumer choice group could be taken as the theme for the meeting at Eden, including our public engagement event there. More generally, the Commission will want to think how its own programme of work might link into the programme of debate.

3. Also at the December meeting, the Chair thinks that it would be a good idea to set aside some time in private in the course of the meeting to reflect on the Commission’s achievements and working practices in its first term and what it might do differently or better in future.

Schedule of meetings

4. We have dates set for next year. Below are some suggested locations for meetings. Members have already agreed that the February meeting should take place in London.

26/27 February London
7-8 May Northern England
9-10 July London
24-25 September Belfast
10-11 December London

5. Some Members have said that they would prefer to meet over one day rather than lunchtime to lunchtime as in the past year, to minimise time away from their main occupations. On this model, Members would gather for a private dinner the night before and meet - normally in public - the following day between 9am and 4pm. This could be discussed at the private session in December about future work practices. There would be freedom to change to a one day meeting regime from February or May next year.

Working groups

6. Following publication of the animals report, the current membership of the Commission’s working groups is as follows:

Current membership of working groups

Liability Consumer Choice DEFRA biodiversity research ad hoc AEBC members on debate steering board
Malcolm Grant
Matthew Freeman
John Gilliliand
Derek Langslow
Justine Thornton [C]
Roger Turner
Sue Mayer
Phil Dale
 Julie Hill
Sue Mayer
Helen Browning
Rosie Hails
Jeff Maxwell
Roger Turner [C]
Dave Carmichael
 Rosie Hails [C]
John Gilliland
Derek Langslow
Dave Carmichael
Phil Dale
 Malcolm Grant Dave Carmichael Robin Grove-White Phil Dale Judith Hann Jeff Maxwell Anna Bradley
[C] = Convener

7. Since the last meeting, Dave Carmichael has joined the consumer choice group and Anna Bradley has asked to stand down in order to free up sufficient time to join the debate steering board.

8. Any Member wishing to discuss group membership at this stage should speak to the Chair or Secretary in the first instance. Given the demands on Members of involvement in the public debate steering board, in addition to the two main workstreams (liability and consumer choice), it is not envisaged setting up developmental groups on the new topics identified in the revised workplan until early 2003. The prospect of some new members joining the Commission in February will also have a bearing on future group membership.

AEBC secretariat
September 2002