You will know that one of the ways in which we seek to promote the importance of markets is through the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Markets. The APPG have been in existence for some years and provides an excellent way of bringing issues affecting markets to the notice of a wide range of Parliamentarians. Ann Coffey, M.P. for Stockport, has recently taken over the role of Secretary to the APPG and Ann has already demonstrated her keen support for markets.

One of the first initiatives pursued by Ann was to conduct a survey among M.Ps to identify their support for their local markets. Almost 200 M.Ps responded to the survey and details are provided in the schedule attached below this note. Check if your own M.P. responded and, if not, perhaps you might like to contact him/her to find out why no response was forthcoming.

One of NABMA’s priorities this year has been to produce a Policy Framework document that emphasises the importance of markets to a number of mainstream policy issues. Work on this Policy Framework document started in March and it is hoped that we will publish the first stage of the work undertaken early in June. NABMA will be producing this document on behalf of the All Party Parliamentary Group with the support of a number of market industry organisations. Copies will be sent to all members of NABMA prior to the next meeting of the APPG on the 18th June.

When the APPG meets on the 18th June it is anticipated that there will be a presentation from Yvette Cooper, M.P., Minister for Local Government, on how markets can interact with current local government policies and we will use the opportunity to launch the Policy Framework document.

As a follow up to the launch of the Policy Framework document it is proposed that invitations be issued to local M.Ps to visit your markets during the week commencing the 18th June so that M.Ps can identify with the markets and you can share with them any issues that are relevant to you. This will be an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of markets and also strengthen the link between markets and Parliamentarians.

There is no need to link the visit to a particular event. If you have some special activity taking place at the market during the week commencing the 18th June it might be helpful to link the visit from the M.P. to the particular activity. Indeed, if you have an event taking place in close proximity to the 18th June there is no reason why the visit by the M.P. cannot be arranged around that particular event, even though it may be a little later than the week commencing 18th June.

This event is also being supported by the National Market Traders’ Federation and letters have been sent to Federation branch urging contact to be made with M.Ps to support the event. If you have a Federation branch in your area you might like to liaise with the branch regarding the visit from the M.P.

I do hope that you will support this initiative. It is very important that we continue to promote markets in the APPG and also secure support from Parliamentarians for our Policy Framework document which indicates the importance of markets to a wide range of mainstream policy initiatives.

I also hope there will be an opportunity to publicise the visit of your M.P. to your local markets and if this happens perhaps you will send NABMA copies of the publicity material so that we can use the information on the website and also provide feedback to Ann Coffey about the success of the week.

Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely,


Graham Wilson,
Chief Executive.


Responding M.Ps

Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth
Coventry North East
Lab

Mr David Amess
Southend West
Con

Ms Charlotte Atkins
Staffordshire Moorlands
Lab

Mr Peter Atkinson
Hexham
Con

Mr John Austin
Erith & Thamesmead
Lab

Mr Adrian Bailey
West Bromwich West
Lab/Co-op

Mr Norman Baker
Lewes
LDem

Ms Celia Barlow
Hove
Lab

Mr Hugh Bayley
York, City of
Lab

Rt Hon Alan Beith
Berwick-upon-Tweed
LDem

Mr Henry Bellingham
North West Norfolk
Con

Rt Hon Hilary Benn
Leeds Central
Lab

Mr Richard Benyon
Newbury
Con

Mr Clive Betts
Sheffield, Attercliffe
Lab

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods
Durham, City of
Lab

Mr Bob Blizzard
Waveney
Lab

Mr David Borrow
South Ribble
Lab

Mr Tim Boswell
Daventry
Con

Mr Peter Bottomley
Worthing West
Con

Mr Graham Brady
Altrincham & Sale West
Con

Mr Colin Breed
South East Cornwall
LDem

Mr Kevin Brennan
Cardiff West
Lab

Mr Andy Burnham
Leigh
Lab

Mr Alistair Burt
North East Bedfordshire
Con

Ms Lorely Burt
Solihull
LDem

Dr Vincent Cable
Twickenham
LDem

Mr David Cairns
Inverclyde
Lab

Mr Ronnie Campbell
Blyth Valley
Lab

Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell
North East Fife
LDem

Mr David Chaytor
Bury North
Lab

Mr Michael Clapham
Barnsley West & Penistone
Lab

Mr Greg Clark
Tunbridge Wells
Con

Rt Hon Tom Clarke
Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill
Lab

Rt Hon Charles Clarke
Norwich South
Lab

Rt Hon Ann Clwyd
Cynon Valley
Lab

Ms Ann Coffey
Stockport
Lab

Sir Patrick Cormack
South Staffordshire
Con

Mr Jim Cousins
Newcastle upon Tyne Central
Lab

Mr David Crausby
Bolton North East
Lab

Ms Mary Creagh
Wakefield
Lab

Mr Jim Cunningham
Coventry South
Lab

Mr Tony Cunningham
Workington
Lab

Mrs Janet Dean
Burton
Lab

Mr Jim Dobbin
Heywood & Middleton
Lab/Co-op

Rt Hon Frank Dobson
Holborn & St Pancras
Lab

Mr David Drew
Stroud
Lab/Co-op

Mr James Duddridge
Rochford & Southend East
Con

Mr Alan Duncan
Rutland & Melton
Con

Mr Philip Dunne
Ludlow
Con

Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody
Crewe & Nantwich
Lab

Mrs Natascha Engel
North East Derbyshire
Lab

Mr Jeff Ennis
Barnsley East & Mexborough
Lab

Mr Michael Fabricant
Lichfield
Con

Mr Paul Farrelly
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Lab

Rt Hon Frank Field
Birkenhead
Lab

Mr Mark Fisher
Stoke-on-Trent Central
Lab

Mr Paul Flynn
Newport West
Lab

Mrs Barbara Follett
Stevenage
Lab

Mr Roger Gale
North Thanet
Con

Mr Edward Garnier
Harborough
Con

Mrs Cheryl Gillan
Chesham & Amersham
Con

Ms Helen Goodman
Bishop Auckland
Lab

Mr Robert Goodwill
Scarborough & Whitby
Con

Mr James Gray
North Wiltshire
Con

Mr John Greenway
Ryedale
Con

Ms Nia Griffith
Llanelli
Lab

Mr John Grogan
Selby
Lab

Mr Andrew Gwynne
Denton & Reddish
Lab

Mr Patrick Hall
Bedford
Lab

Mr Stephen Hammond
Wimbledon
Con

Mr Mike Hancock
Portsmouth South
LDem

Mr David Hanson
Delyn
Lab

Rt Hon Harriet Harman
Camberwell & Peckham
Lab

Mr Tom Harris
Glasgow South
Lab

Mr Dai Havard
Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney
Lab

Mr Oliver Heald
North East Hertfordshire
Con

Mr David Heath
Somerton & Frome
LDem

Mr John Hemming
Birmingham, Yardley
LDem

Lady Sylvia Hermon
North Down
UU

Rt Hon Keith Hill
Streatham
Lab

Rt Hon Margaret Hodge
Barking
Lab

Mr Philip Hollobone
Kettering
Con

Mr Paul Holmes
Chesterfield
LDem

Mr David Howarth
Cambridge
LD

Dr Kim Howells
Pontypridd
Lab

Mr Lindsay Hoyle
Chorley
Lab

Rt Hon Beverley Hughes
Stretford & Urmston
Lab

Mrs
Joan
Humble
Blackpool North & Fleetwood
Lab

Dr Brian Iddon
Bolton South East
Lab

Mr Eric Illsley
Barnsley Central
Lab

Rt Hon Adam Ingram
East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow
Lab

Rt Hon Michael Jack
Fylde
Con

Mr Boris Johnson
Henley
Con

Mr David Jones
Clwyd West
Con

Ms Helen Jones
Warrington North
Lab

Mr Kevan Jones
North Durham
Lab

Mr Eric Joyce
Falkirk West
Lab

Ms Barbara Keeley
Worsley
Lab

Rt Hon Ruth Kelly
Bolton West
Lab

Mr Robert Key
Salisbury
Con

Mr David Kidney
Stafford
Lab

Dr Ashok Kumar
Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland
Lab

Mr Mark Lancaster
North East Milton Keynes
Con

Mr Tom Levitt
High Peak
Lab

Mr Martin Linton
Battersea
Lab

Mr Tony Lloyd
Manchester Central
Lab

Mr Elfyn Llwyd
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
PC

Mr Tim Loughton
East Worthing & Shoreham
Con

Mr Andrew Love
Edmonton
Lab

Mr Ian Lucas
Wrexham
Lab

Rt Hon David Maclean
Penrith & The Border
Con

Mr Angus MacNeil
Na h-Eileanan an Iar
SNP

Rt Hon Denis MacShane
Rotherham
Lab

Mr John Maples
Stratford on Avon
Con

Mr Rob Marris
Wolverhampton South West
Lab

Mr Gordon Marsden
Blackpool South
Lab

Mr Eric Martlew
Carlisle
Lab

Rt Hon Francis Maude
Horsham
Con

Ms Christine McCafferty
Calder Valley
Lab

Mr John McDonnell
Hayes & Harlington
Lab

Ms Rosemary McKenna
Cumbernauld, Kilsykth & Kilkintilloch East
Lab

Rt Hon Michael Meacher
Oldham West & Royton
Lab

Rt Hon Alum Michael
Cardiff South & Penarth
Lab

Mr Andrew Miller
Ellesmere Port & Neston
Lab

Ms Anne Milton
Guildford
Con

Ms Laura Moffatt
Crawley
Lab

Ms Julie Morgan
Cardiff North
Lab

Rt Hon Paul Murphy
Torfaen
Lab

Mr MIke O'Brien
North Warwickshire
Lab

Mr Stephen O'Brien
Eddisbury
Con

Mr Bill Olner
Nuneaton
Lab

Mr Lembit Öpik
Montgomeryshire
LDem

Ms Sandra Osborne
Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock
Lab

Rt Hon Ian Paisley
North Antrim
DU

Mr Andrew Pelling
Croydon Central
Con

Mr Stephen Pound
Ealing North
Lab

Ms Bridget Prentice
Lewisham East
Lab

Mr Ken Purchase
Wolverhampton North East
Lab/Co-op

Mr Hugh Robertson
Faversham & Mid Kent
Con

Mr Laurence Robertson
Tewkesbury
Con

Mr Geoffrey Robinson
Coventry North West
Lab

Ms Iris Robinson
Strangford
DU

Mr Dan Rogerson
North Cornwall
LDem

Ms Joan Ruddock
Lewisham, Deptford
Lab

Mr Bob Russell
Colchester
LDem

Mr Martin Salter
Reading West
Lab

Mr Mohammed Sarwar
Glasgow Central
Lab

Mr Andrew Selous
South West Bedfordshire
Con

Mr Jonathan Shaw
Chatham & Aylesford
Lab

Mr Marsha Singh
Bradford West
Lab

Mr Dennis Skinner
Bolsover
Lab

Mr Andrew Slaughter
Ealing, Acton & Shepherds Bush
Lab

Ms Angela Smith
Basildon
Lab/Co-op

Rt Hon Andrew Smith
Oxford East
Lab

Ms Angela C Smith
Sheffield, Hillsborough
Lab

Ms Anne Snelgrove
South Swindon
Lab

Sir Peter Soulsby
Leicester South
Lab

Ms Helen Southworth
Warrington South
Lab

Mr Richard Spring
West Suffolk
Con

Mr Ian Stewart
Eccles
Lab

Dr Howard Stoate
Dartford
Lab

Rt Hon Jack Straw
Blackburn
Lab

Mr Andrew Stunell
Hazel Grove
LDem

Ms Jo Swinson
East Dunbartonshire
LDem

Mr Mark Tami
Alyn & Deeside
Lab

Dr Richard Taylor
Wyre Forest
Ind

Mr David Taylor
North West Leicestershire
Lab

Ms Emily Thornberry
Islington South & Finsbury
Lab

Mr John Thurso
Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross
LDem

Mr Paddy Tipping
Sherwood
Lab

Rt Hon Don Touhig
Islwyn
Lab/Co-op

Dr Desmond Turner
Brighton, Kemptown
Lab

Ms Kitty Ussher
Burnley
Lab

Rt Hon Keith Vaz
Leicester East
Lab

Dr Rudi Vis
Finchley & Golders Green
Lab

Mr Ben Wallace
Lancaster & Wyre
Con

Mr Robert Walter
North Dorset
Con

Ms Lynda Waltho
Stourbridge
Lab

Mr Michael Weir
Angus
SNP

Mr John Whittingdale
Maldon & East Chelmsford
Con

Mr Roger Williams
Brecon & Radnorshire
LDem

Mrs Betty Williams
Conwy
Lab

Mr Phil Willis
Harrogate & Knaresborough
LDem

Mr David Wilshire
Spelthorne
Con

Rt Hon Rosie Winterton
Doncaster Central
Lab

Mrs Ann Winterton Congleton
Con

Sir Nicholas Winterton Macclesfield
Con

Mr Phil Woolas
Oldham East & Saddleworth
Lab

Mr Anthony D Wright
Great Yarmouth
Lab

MrDerek Wyatt
Sittingbourne & Sheppey
Lab

Sir George Young
North West Hampshire
Con


Ann Coffey MP
House of Commons
SW1A 0AA

26.4.2007


Dear Colleague,

I am writing to thank you very much for returning the Markets Survey of MPs and to give you a flavour of the outcome. (See attached analysis).

We were delighted that about 200 MPs responded. The MPs were supportive of their local markets, especially for their role in strengthening communities and offering fresh local produce.

We asked if you would be happy to participate in a ‘MPs and their Markets Week’ of events, and we were again delighted by your response.

The Markets Week will take place the week commencing June 18 and we hope that many of you will be seen visiting and sampling good food produced locally in your own constituency. There will be a Parliamentary reception on June 18 at 6.00pm in the Macmillan room, Portcullis House, to give the week a good start.

Nearer the time we will let you have further details of a market contact in your area so that you can set up a photocall or other event. We will also provide a model Press Release, to send to your local news outlets. In the meantime you may be contacted by traders themselves in your area, who are members of the National Market Traders Federation.

Yours sincerely,


Ann Coffey.
(Secretary All Party Parliamentary Markets Group)


MPs MARKETS SURVEY – Outcomes

THE RESPONSE: - 31.9% of MPs responded to the survey, covering every region of the UK. The replies total 198 which is nearly one third of all constituencies.

SUPPORT:- Altogether they mention support for 534 markets spread across every region of the country. The breakdown of markets by region is attached.

Only five said they had no market in the area, and over 96% said they would support a Markets Week in their constituency.

TYPES OF MARKET: - Across the country we found a wide variety of markets: from permanent indoor or outdoor sites, to temporary weekly street stalls, to farmers’ markets, craft fairs, and of course livestock. (See Appendix i for the actual Survey)

Some MPs ticked five or all six categories of markets, and others mentioned that outdoor markets took place in their constituency in perhaps 3 or 4 different locations through the month.

Permanent sites were common in London. There were instances of indoor markets suffering decline in contrast to the more temporary type of street stalls.

(See Appendix ii for regional details)

Farmers’ markets are clearly on the increase and are popular with MPs, although they may not be held so regularly as the more traditional local authority managed ones.

Craft and Specialist street fairs are also on the increase and sometimes offer cultural diversity of food.

Livestock markets clearly only survive in more rural areas, but none the less total 40.

ADDED VALUE: - MPs were asked to grade the importance of markets to their communities in various terms:- for example, giving value for money; offering fresh food and produce; supporting local producers; strengthening community life; and supporting small and medium sized enterprises. The two highest categories were offering fresh food and produce and strengthening community life.

Many MPs mentioned in their comments the need for investment, led by the traders themselves, and more coordinated support from local authorities.

MPs representing small and medium sized towns and cities, recognised the essential life which the regular market gives to the whole town community, bringing people in to the local shops as well.

There was also recognition that the new emphasis on ‘food miles’ and locally grown organic produce means that the role of markets and especially farmers markets were going to be increasingly important.

Here is sample of what some MPs thought about the markets in their area:-

“For a historic market town it provides good community focus”

“My market has a charter dated 1276”

“For a rural area there is potential for growth in the provision of fresh LOCAL produce – but it needs INVESTMENT”

“Markets add to cultural diversity”

“Gives a personal relationship and service with providers”

“They add to high street shopping value and experience”

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL MPS WHO CONTRIBUTED AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO MAKE THE MARKETS WEEK THIS JUNE A RESOUNDING SUCCESS.

Ann Coffey MP - Secretary of the Parliamentary Markets group