Do we have to answer every question?
No. Obviously, the more answers we get the better will be our summary for the Minister. But we would rather that your group enjoyed a lively and thorough discussion of fewer questions than slogged through topics that were of limited interest.
Can we send in our submission late?
Yes. The last thing we want to do is turn away submissions based on an arbitrary timeline. That said, the later your submission is, the more likely we are to have started writing our summary and the less likely that your group’s work will be included in our findings.
Why can’t we talk about current Government policy?
We hope that Conservative Policy Forum groups will provide a space for all kinds of policy discussion – past, current and future. But our official remit is to talk about policy for 2015 and onwards. This is incredibly exciting opportunity for us to contribute the 2015 manifesto and wider Conservative thinking. As you can imagine, there are a lot of topics that we want to get through and that work will take up all of the discussion briefs in this parliament. We hope you will be as enthusiastic about our mission as we are!
How long before we get a ministerial response to our comments?
We aim to read submissions in the month after the deadline and then draft a summary for the Minister. This goal gives us enough time to consider each proposal in depth and consult experts if further detail is necessary. After the summary has been sent to a Minister we again hope to receive a response within a month.
