Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, 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 Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser ensures that the department’s policies are supported by the best science and engineering advice available by advising senior officials, as well as ministers, on science and engineering matters, and working with the wider community of Chief Scientific Advisers to share good practice and resolve cross departmental problems.

The Secretary of State’s predecessor, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for South Northamptonshire, did not meet with the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 September to 30 November 2019 and from 1 December 2019 to 13 February 2020.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy did not meet with his department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 13 February to 29 February 2020.