To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) his officials have met representatives of (i) Friends of the Earth, (ii) Greenpeace, (iii) WWF-UK, (iv) Airportwatch, (v) Stop Stansted Expansion, (vi) Plane Stupid, (vii) the Aviation Environment Federation, (viii) Enoughsenough, (ix) Hacan Clearskies, (x) the Campaign to Protect Rural England, (xi) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and (xii) the Woodland Trust to discuss issues related to the sustainable growth of aviation in the UK in the last six months; and how often such meetings have taken place. (185805)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times Ministers or officials from his Department have met representatives of (a) Friends of the Earth, (b) Greenpeace, (c) WWF, (d) Aviation Environment Federation, (e) AirportWatch, (f) HACAN Clearskies, (g) Stop Stansted Expansion, (h) Plane Stupid, (i) the Commission for the Protection of Rural England, (j) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, (k) The Woodland Trust and (l) Enoughsenough to discuss the environmental impact of aviation since September 2007. (186692)

Ministers and officials have met on several occasions with key stakeholders to discuss various issues including aviation.

Of particular note is my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn)’s launch of the Climate Change Bill in October 2007. Representatives from several organisations attended. Aviation growth was referred to during the question and answer session which followed.

In addition, the Secretary of State and myself attended a meeting in December 2007 before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change talks in Bali with representatives from Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund UK and others.