Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times (a) Ministers and b) civil servants from her Department met with representatives from the Low Income Tax Reform Group in each of the last five years.

The Department engages with a diverse range of stakeholders on a wide range of topics and issues including with the Low Income Tax Reform Group (LITRG).

They are a member of the Departmental Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum (OSEF) which meets quarterly allowing stakeholders to shape operational delivery and builds positive relationships between national stakeholders and DWP. The forum also enables key messages to be communicated to stakeholders in the most efficient and cost effective way.

LITRG have also attended two events with Civil Servants working on Universal Credit in the last year. Further information on meetings over the past 5 years is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.