Suffolk Chamber: helping members get key facetime with government decision-makers
“This was another valuable opportunity for our members to directly quiz and lobby face-to-face senior civil servants about key issues of concern to them. Given the breadth of topics covered and the follow-up asked for, I’d say this was a good meeting for those who were present.”
Paul Simon, Suffolk Chamber’s head of communications & campaigns, was speaking at the conclusion of a meeting between officials at the department for the environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) and the county’s leading food and drink companies.
The companies heard updates from the officials, led by Ananda Guha, deputy director for exports and EU exit, as to how Defra was planning to manage a possible no deal exit from the European Union and support the sector over the next few years.
Topics covered included export and import procedures, labelling requirements and the supply of overseas labour.
After the Defra presentations, the businesses present took full advantage of the opportunity to ask questions and raise issues with the officials.
The Defra meeting follows on from a meeting with officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy earlier in the month. Suffolk Chamber is arranging for a similar engagement with the Home Office for later in the spring.
For more information about how Suffolk Chamber campaigns on behalf of the county’s business community go to: www.sufoflkchamber.co.uk and click on ‘Representing You’.
