Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Minister for Trade policy's oral contribution of 21 April, to Question 23, if she will publish a copy of any written offer to the TUC to join the Trade Advisory Board.
It is not practice to publish such correspondence but the Hon. Gentleman is mistaken as to the meeting and offer in question.
It is a matter of public record that the General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) have seats on the Department’s Trade Union Advisory Group and Strategic Trade Advisory Group respectively.
Following the TUC’s request, the Department has offered a number of seats on Trade Advisory Groups (TAGs) for representatives of trades unions, but the TUC have not taken up these seats yet.