Attended by over 130 politicians, journalists and industry representatives, the reception also heard from the Chairman of the Group Baroness Fookes.  She said that she would be urging the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Caroline Spelman MP, to hold her annual meeting with the industry to discuss R&D and other key issues. 

The evening gave members of the industry an opportunity to lobby parliamentarians on other policy areas of concern such as Sunday trading, peat reduction, hosepipe bans and planning policy.  Carol Paris, HTA President, confirms “this annual event provides an invaluable opportunity for industry to raise specific concerns with parliamentarians.  In this context, I was delighted to meet my local MP John Penrose and reiterate the garden industry’s concerns about the proposal to move the May Day Bank Holiday as part of the Government’s Tourism Strategy”.

Other attendees included radio and TV presenters Bunny Guinness and Tommy Walsh.   John Penrose MP, Minister of State for Tourism, Huw Irranca-Davies MP Shadow Food and Farming Minister and Anne McIntosh MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee also attended the event. 

David Gwyther, Director General of the HTA said, “The presence of so many politicians at the event shows that the industry is valued by Government and Opposition alike.  But ornamental horticulture will only continue to thrive if Government redresses the balance between pure and applied R&D.  It is vital that an effective knowledge transfer mechanism is in place to apply research outputs to growers and thereby improve productivity and efficiency.  We therefore fully support Lord Taylor’s determination to implement the findings of the report that he published on this issue whilst in opposition.”

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