Government refuses to answer on AXA/KIG meetings

Hugh Robertson, the MP for Mid Kent, has questioned the government in Parliament over any meetings they may have had with the AXA Group over KIG or other issues.

The question follows the revelation that the current Secretary of State, John Denham, met the AXA Group whilst he was a backbencher in 2005.

In their answer, the government confirmed that no Ministers have met with AXA since the formation of the department in 2006. However, it refused to answer the question about meetings prior to this on the grounds that the information could only be provided at ‘disproportionate cost’. A copy of the answer is attached.

Hugh Robertson said, “Whilst it is reassuring, in a sense, that no government minister has met AXA formally since 2006, it is extremely evasive to refuse to answer the question prior to that time. We know, from other sources, that a meeting took place with John Denham prior to his appointment as Secretary of State.

I very much hope that we will see a new Secretary of State in six weeks time and that we can convince him, or her, to throw out this unwanted and unnecessary development.