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“Your Time is now” challenges Minister
Thursday 14 May 2009
The above was the message delivered to NABMA yesterday at Westminster by Iain Wright M.P (Hartlepool) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Communities and Local Government. The meeting was requested by the Minister following his involvement and interest with the Select Committee discussions on Traditional Markets. NABMA represented the wider market interests of the RMA.
The Minister is pictured with Ann Coffey M.P, Secretary of the All Party Markets Parliamentary Group formally endorsing the latest NABMA publication “Valuing Our Markets.”
At the outset the Minister described himself as a committed and regular user of his local market valuing the quality of its produce and its importance within the community.
He welcomed the NABMA publication and its message to local authorities to invest in their market activities. “Markets have a key role to play in bringing people into town and city centres; they are a major player in local regeneration schemes. The attempt by NABMA and the RMA to put markets on the national stage and highlight good practice is applauded.”
The Minister explained that one of the issues for Government is coordinating its role for markets as the service crosses several Departments. It was generally agreed the strongest case rests with CLG, primarily due to its planning function. The idea of a Market Champion within government was also welcomed by the Minister and he urged NABMA to contact the Chairman of the Select Committee campaigning for such an inclusion in its recommendations to be published in July.
In conclusion the Minister expressed his welcome of the meeting and offered regular dialogue with NABMA and the RMA in the months ahead, regardless as to whether a Market Champion from Government is recommended from the Select Committee.
NABMA Chief Executive, Graham Wilson expressed his delight at the meeting. “The Minister was clearly supportive of markets and it is all apparent that the policy, research and profiling work undertaken by NABMA and the RMA is bearing fruit. The endorsement of the “Valuing our Markets” brochure and the very real interest in a Markets Champion sends out a clear message from government that it is now taking markets seriously.”
NABMA and RMA representatives recorded their thanks to Ann Coffey M.P for supporting the meeting and for her pivotal influence for pressing the case for local markets in Westminster.
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