Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings (a) he and (b) his predecessor had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser (i) from 1 September to 30 November 2019 and (ii) from 1 December 2019 to 29 February 2020.

The current Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been in post since 13 February 2020. Between 13 February and 29 February 2020, he attended one meeting with his Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA).

The previous Secretary of State attended one meeting with her CSA between 1 September and 30 November 2019, and two meetings between 1 December 2019 and 12 February 2020.

Between 1 September and 1 October 2019, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs did not have a CSA in post.

The Department’s Junior Ministers also attend meetings with their CSA.