The meeting, which was attended by representatives from local government, business and the voluntary sector, provided an opportunity for regional stakeholders to share their views on the proposed content of the next Queen's Speech and feed them back to Whitehall and Westminster.
Regional Minister Barbara Follett said:
"The Government wants to ensure that any new laws it introduces to Parliament are ones that the people of the East of England want. We want the people of the East, to know why we are proposing to make laws on particular issues and we want you to have your say in what we bring forward."
A draft legislative programme was published in July setting out the new laws the government proposes to bring before Parliament.
This consisted of details of 23 bills the Government proposed to bring forward in the new session of Parliament, to start in November. It forms part of a wider package of reforms designed to reinvigorate public life and political debate.
The Minister continued:
"The Government is keen to ensure that any new legislation it introduces is both wanted and understood by the people of the East of England. That is why we are giving them a chance to have a say in the formulation of the laws.
"The Government wants to involve the people of this country in the decisions that affect their future. Some of the questions that need answering are very hard indeed.
"How can we provide decent housing for everyone? How can we make sure that our young people have the best possible opportunities to fulfil their potential? How can we tackle climate change? How we support business by ensuring that it is not overburdened by regulation? How we can be balance security and liberty?
"These are the complex issues but ones which are of direct concern to everyone in all walks of life.
The Minister concluded:
"Previously plans for new laws had been discussed in private behind closed doors by a select few. Happily this era is over and all governments now need to be as open as possible if they want to be legitimate.
"In addition encouraging debate on the content of the next Queen's Speech the government is also seeking views on the process of how the whole process of formulating laws can be improved in the future."
