Treasury lifts lid on ministers' meetings
I've been looking at the Treasury's Freedom of Information Act release page in the last day or so (all will become clear as to why tomorrow). And I was intrigued to see this.
It's a list of all the new Treasury ministers meetings with outside interest groups since they took up their posts.
It's just a three month period, but I guess what surprised me is that Jane Kennedy, the minister responsible for HM Revenue & Customs, has had relatively few meetings thus far.
She signed a Swiss double tax agreement, She met the Citizens Advice Bureau to talk about tax credits, and attended a couple of meetings (which almost look like they've been chucked in to add to the list - is going to attend an EC Code of Conduct group really a 'meeting with an outside interest group'?).
The most interesting meeting was with Robert Verrue, the director general of taxation and customs union from the EC. What did they discuss, I wonder? Perhaps he was trying to sign the UK up to the CCCTB? Not much chance there, I fear.
Separately, isn't it time you lot got a date in the diary to meet Kennedy? That's those of you who are looking to lobby the government on tax issues. Or is it more effective to talk to the civil servants in charge of tax issues direct?
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