Examination of Witnesses (Questions 160
- 162)
WEDNESDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2001
MR EWEN
CAMERON, MS
PAM WARHURST
AND MR
RICHARD WAKEFORD
Chairman
160. My line of questioning was the opposite
of that, as to whether you can actually get into the Government
at all. You have got this rather daft title of Rural Advocate,
which makes you sound like a rural small-town solicitor.
(Mr Cameron) I am not going to answer questions about
titles.
161. Expectations are raised that you are able
to lobby across the length of Government on all issues to defend
the countryside. You cannot.
(Mr Cameron) And then publicise my activities and
the success of them or not.
162. I am not talking about that. I am just
interested in looking at whether you can actually do the job.
Forget the publicity, I am looking at whether you can do the job,
whether it is possible, whether the structure of the Government
permits you to do things which your title leads people to expect
you to do.
(Mr Cameron) It is a question of expectations. There
is a whole range of government policies which affect the countryside
in many different ways. I cannot possibly interfere and lobby
on all those issues, but there are certain issues that I can take
up and run with which I think matter. Obviously one chooses the
issues that one believes one is not wasting one's time in following.
Chairman: Thank you very much indeed. That has
been a very long session and I found it an interesting session.
I think we may well wish to reflect upon our lines and the responses
we have had. Thank you very much for coming. No doubt we shall
see each other again in due course.
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