More than mere frivolity - the serious side to APPGs
15th Jul 2010
"From cheese to cider and from football to the furniture industry, there are a great wealth of All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) for MPs and peers to get their teeth stuck into.
APPGs are informal, cross-party interest groups. They have no official status or funding. However, while parliamentarians undoubtedly enjoy the social side of groups celebrating food and drink, many APPGs also help MPs and Peers mix with experts and stakeholders and inform debate on policies of particular concern.
With the new parliament gathering pace, APPGs are reforming and holding meetings for the first time since the general election. On Monday, the APPG for Children took place in the House of Lords and was so well attended that a large number of people resorted to sitting on the floor as new children's minister Sarah Teather outlined the government's plans for children and families.
Although APPG membership can grow and wane in line with parliamentarians' enthusiasm for certain topics, they remain a useful way to identify what issues concern which parliamentarians. As with select committees, APPGs are an important factor to consider for any targeted parliamentary communication strategy and regular engagement can keep MPs and peers informed of developments in the areas that interest them most.
As there are so many APPGs, there will always be at least one which will interest you. And the list is still expanding!"