All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Corporate Responsibility

Business in the Community, with the support of Camelot, provides the secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Corporate Responsibility (APPG on CSR), an officially registered all-party group in Parliament.

It was set up in 2001 by a group of backbench MPs and peers after a 2001 survey (undertaken by Business in the Community and PricewaterhouseCoopers) revealed a lack of awareness and understanding about responsible business in parliament. The Group’s main aim is to promote debate and understanding of CR among parliamentarians.

The Group is chaired by Baroness Greengross (cross-bench) with officers drawn from all major political parties. It currently has 135 members, of whom 68 are MPs and 67 are peers.

Aims
The Group aims to:

• raise the level of debate and awareness of the impact that current public policy has on CR in Parliament (both Houses) and Government.
• create a dialogue between members of the Group and key individuals/organisations to improve the way Parliament and Government work with business
• encourage its members to become advocates (‘champions’) for responsible business
• ensure that MPs and peers raise CR issues in an informed way
• foster media interest to the benefit of both members and business
• work with Business in the Community to build on the work achieved through the Business Impact Reporting Group and the Corporate Responsibility Index
• work with existing groups such as the Socially Responsible Investment All Party Group and other outside bodies with a parliamentary presence.

Parliamentary newsletter
The Group produces a monthly parliamentary newsletter, summarising any relevant legislation or developments related to responsible business practice. 

Meetings
Between January and June 2006, the Group held monthly meetings on a variety of subjects including CR and the media and the pharmaceutical industries. From October 2006, the Group will be undertaking a parliamentary inquiry to identify issues and opportunities for businesses to respond to the needs of especially vulnerable customers. A report is due in May 2007.

The Group’s membership is parliamentary, but non-members are welcome to attend meetings by invitation. For further information about the Group, its members or its meetings, please contact Gemma McNeilis, Business in the Community, on 0870 600 2482 or the Group's secretariat Patricia Constant, CLC, on 020 7222 1265.

The Group is a registered all-party group under the rules of the House of Commons. Administrative support is provided by Business in the Community, with the backing of Camelot, and is declared.