Swyddfa’r Prif Weinidog a Swyddfa’r Cabinet Office of the First Minister and Cabinet Office

Our ref: ATISN 11100 Date: 9 March 2017

Dear ,

Request for Information – ATISN reference 11100

Thank you for your request which was received by the on 8 February 2017. You asked for the following information:

Between September 2016 and today, a list of all meetings with organisations external to the Welsh (and UK) government held by:

. Lesley Griffiths . Ken Skates

I have provided some of the information you have requested in the PDF documents accompanying this letter. Information for the period 1 January to the date of your request, 8 February, is exempt from release under section 22: information intended for future publication. Section 22 is a publicly tested exemption. I have set out at Annex 1 of this letter my reasons for non disclosure.

If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response. Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at:

Information Rights Unit, Welsh Government, Park, , CF10 3NQ or

Email: FreedomOfInformationOfficer@.gsi.gov.uk

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Parc Cathays ● Cathays Park Caerdydd ● Cardiff CentralDepartments-FOI/[email protected] CF10 3NQ Gwefan ● website: www.cymru.gov.uk

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process.

Yours sincerely

Annex 1

Section 22 states that Information is exempt information if – a) The information is held by the public authority with a view to its publication, by the authority or any other person, at some future date (whether determined or not) b) The information was already held with a view to such publication at the time the request for information was made, and c) It is reasonable in all the circumstances that the information should be withheld from disclosure until the date referred to in paragraph a).

I am of the opinion that subsections (a) and (b) above are met because the information is held with a view to its publication. The First Minister wrote to all Assembly Members on 20 January 2017 informing them that details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and attendance at engagements will be published to the Welsh Government website quarterly. The information for the first quarter of 2017 is due to be published shortly.

With regards to part (c), I have given consideration as to whether it would be ‘reasonable in all the circumstances’ that the information should be withheld from disclosure until the proposed publication date. I am of the opinion that releasing the information at this time would cause disruption to the Welsh Government’s intentions in relation to its publication arrangements. Thus I am content that the exemption is engaged.

Section 22 is a public interested exemption. This means that, in order to withhold information, I must show that the public interest in withholding is greater than the public interest in releasing it. There are a number of public interest arguments that weigh in favour of disclosing now the information you have sought:

 The general proposition of maximising openness that the Freedom of Information Act aspires to.

 The benefits of ensuring transparent and accountable government by disclosing diary information for Welsh Government Ministers.

However, there are also public interest arguments against disclosure now:

 It is of more public benefit for the Welsh Government to publish a fully comprehensive list of Ministerial engagements for all Ministers than a partial list for only some Ministers now.

 Disclosure of a comprehensive list of engagements will provide a complete picture of the activity of Welsh Government Ministers.

I consider that there is a public interest in withholding the information from 1 January to the date of the request (8 February) which outweighs the public interest in the release of that information.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure

Date Organisation 12/09/2016 Network Rail 13/09/2016 BECTU 14/09/2016 EEF 15/09/2016 Trinity Mirror 19/09/2016 Redrow Homes 19/09/2016 Cheshire West and Chester Council / WLGA 19/09/2016 North Wales and Mersey Dee Rail Taskforce 19/09/2016 Indycube 21/09/2016 Celtic Manor 21/09/2016 Innovation Point 21/09/2016 Ford 22/09/2016 Barclays Bank 22/09/2016 Rail Freight Group 22/09/2016 National Steel Union 28/09/2016 Community Passenger Transport Wales 29/09/2016 TATA 30/09/2016 CSA Group 03/10/2016 Horizon 03/10/2016 Anchor Company EU Opportunity Workshops 03/10/2016 Growing Mid Wales Partnership 04/10/2016 Infineon 06/10/2016 Unite 06/10/2016 Colegau Cymru 06/10/2016 Royal Porthcawl Golf Club 06/10/2016 Celsa 06/10/2016 Wildlife Trust Wales / Gwent Wildlife Trust 07/10/2016 SQW 18/10/2016 Honorary Consul for Mexico 19/10/2016 Anchor Company EU Opportunity Workshops 20/10/2016 Greenman Festival 20/10/2016 RSPB 20/10/2016 Wales Co-operative Centre 20/10/2016 Welsh Retail Consortium 20/10/2016 Fujitsu 21/10/2016 Botanic Garden of Wales 26/10/2016 Liverpool County Council 26/10/2016 Manchester New Economy 26/10/2016 Manchester City Council 26/10/2016 Global Operations 26/10/2016 Cheshire and Warrington LEP 31/10/2016 Conwy Council 02/11/2016 Swansea City Council 03/11/2016 Industry Wales 03/11/2016 Bevan Foundation 03/11/2016 Friends of the Earth 03/11/2016 National Museum & Galleries of Wales 03/11/2016 Chetwood Financial Ltd 08/11/2016 Finance Wales 09/11/2016 2 Sisters Food Group 10/11/2016 Community Rail Partnerships 10/11/2016 Big Lottery Fund 10/11/2016 14/11/2016 Glyndwr University 14/11/2016 Caersws Bridge Action Group 16/11/2016 Business Wales Strategic Board 17/11/2016 Hydro Industries 21/11/2016 Mersey-Dee Alliance 22/11/2016 Union Reps 23/11/2016 Airbus 23/11/2016 Rail Delivery Group 23/11/2016 Midlands Connect 25/11/2016 Hotpack 29/11/2016 Haverfordwest Enterprise Zone 30/11/2016 What Next? 30/11/2016 Trinity Group South Wales 01/12/2016 Arts Council of Wales 01/12/2016 Future Generations Commissioner 05/12/2016 Infineon 05/12/2016 UEFA Championship Cup Final stakeholders 05/12/2016 EU Opportunities Anchor Company 05/12/2016 IQE 06/12/2016 Liberty Steel 07/12/2016 UK Petroleum Industry Association 08/12/2016 Cardiff Metropolitan University 08/12/2016 Welsh Books Council 08/12/2016 Assistant Chief Constable South Wales Police 08/12/2016 Network Rail 08/12/2016 WLGA 08/12/2016 Wales TUC 08/12/2016 Coleg Cambria 14/12/2016 Social Partners Strategy Group 15/12/2016 Cardiff Bus 15/12/2016 Institute of Civil Engineers 15/12/2016 Sustrans 15/12/2016 National Union Officers 15/12/2016 Irish Ferries 21/12/2016 Wrexham Savers

Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs

Date Organisation 13/09/2016 Tidal Lagoon Power 19/09/2016 Cardiff City Council 19/09/2016 Natural Resources Wales 19/09/2016 Public Policy Institute for Wales 20/09/2016 Tidal Lagoon Review 21/09/2016 Swansea City Council 21/09/2016 Tenant Farmers Association 21/09/2016 RenewableUK Cymru 26/09/2016 Minister for Agriculture & Environment Government of Flanders 26/09/2016 Office of the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development 26/09/2016 Office of European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety 26/09/2016 European Policy Strategy Centre 28/09/2016 Hybu Cig Cymru 28/09/2016 County Council 03/10/2016 Meeting with key stakeholders on Wales’ future outside of the EU 03/10/2016 Prospect/PCS/Unite/Unison/GMB 04/10/2016 Drinking Water Inspectorate 05/10/2016 Barratts/Llanmoor/Lewis Homes/Taylor Wimpey/Lovell/Bellway/Redrow/Davies Homes/Redrow/Edenstone/Persimmon 05/10/2016 Friends of the Earth Cymru 05/10/2016 Chwarae Teg 10/10/2016 Agri-Fish Council 13/10/2016 TB Eradication Board 19/10/2016 Natural Resources Wales 21/10/2016 Meeting with key stakeholders on Wales’ future outside of the EU 21/10/2016 Welsh Fishermen’s Association/Inshore Fisheries Group/ Bangor Mussel Producers Association/Seafish Wales. 21/10/2016 Farmers Union Wales 31/10/2016 Ofwat (The Water Services Regulation Authority) 03/11/2016 British-Irish Council 07/11/2016 Welsh Local Government Association Waste Council members 07/11/2016 RWE Npower/Unite Union 07/11/2016 Powys County Council 08/11/2016 UK Fisheries Bodies 09/11/2016 George Eustice MP Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Fergus Ewing MSP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, Scottish Government, Noel Lavery Permanent Secretary Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs 09/11/2016 Cardiff City Council 09/11/2016 Customer Challenge Groups 21/11/2016 WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) Cymru 28/11/2016 Future Farmers Wales 28/11/2016 Wales Young Farmers’ Club 29/11/2016 British Irish Parliamentry Assembly Committee 29/11/2016 Ofgem (The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets) 30/11/2016 Natural Resources Wales 30/11/2016 Confor (Confederation of Forest Industries ) UK 30/11/2016 Afonydd Cymru 01/12/2016 Chartered Institution of Waste Managment Cymru 01/12/2016 Chair of Future Landscapes Wales 01/12/2016 National Farmers Union 01/12/2016 Farmers Union Wales 05/12/2016 Natural Resources Wales 05/12/2016 NFU Cymru Next Generation 07/12/2016 Welsh Environment Services Association 07/12/2016 Wales Environment Link 07/12/2016 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council 07/12/2016 Slade Farm Organics 08/12/2016 Dwr Cymru 08/12/2016 Welsh Fishermen’s Association/Wales Marine and Fisheries Advisory Group/Albatross Fisheries /Whitall Fisheries Ltd/Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers/Angling Trust 12/12/2016 Agri-Fish Council 14/12/2016 Wales Planning Inspectorate 15/12/2016 Wales Animal Health & Welfare Framework Group 15/12/2016 British Meat Processors Association 15/12/2016 Food and Drink Wales Industry Board 19/12/2016 Meeting with key stakeholders on Wales’ future outside of the EU