RABDF has welcomed the news MP Heather Wheeler has been elected as the new Chair of the The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dairy after a six-year hiatus, succeeding MP Scott Mann.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dairy assembled for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) last week to elect a new Chair, following Scott Mann MP’s appointment as Government Whip and his stepping down from the role.
Mrs Wheeler previously served as Dairy APPG Chair back in 2015 and is a long-time champion of the British dairy sector.
Commenting on the news Mrs Wheeler said: “It’s great to be back and working with the group and my fellow APPG colleagues again after all these years. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the issues and challenges facing our British dairy farmers and processors and supporting them through the Dairy APPG group within Parliament.”
RABDF Managing Director Matt Knight added: “It is with great warmth we welcome Heather back as Chair of The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dairy. She is a huge asset and has been a great champion for the dairy sector. We would also like to extend our thanks to Scott Mann for all his work with the APPG over the last three years.”
Also elected at the Extraordinary General Meeting as Vice-Chairs were: Steve Double MP, Jim Shannon MP, Sir George Howarth MP, Alicia Kearns MP, Lord Cameron of Dillington, Jonathan Edwards MP and Sheryll Murray MP.
Key focus areas for the Dairy APPG agreed at the EGM for the coming year were issues relating to sustainability and the dairy sector, as well as supporting farmers and processors through Covid-19.
About the Dairy All-Party Parliamentary Group
The Dairy All-Party Parliamentary Group is a cross-party group of MPs and Peers which aims to provide a forum for parliamentarians to discuss issues of interest for the dairy industry and ensure parliamentarians are fully briefed on developments in the dairy supply chain. All-Party Groups are informal, cross-party, interest groups that have no official status within Parliament and are not accorded any powers or funding by it.
Dairy UK and the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers act as the APPG’s secretariat. For further information, please contact Sophie Clarke or Tim Brigstocke at appgdairy@gmail.com