Eight meetings of the Anglo-Irish Conference, each jointly chaired by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and myself, have taken place in 1993 and to date in 1994. A further meeting of the Conference will take place in the near future.
In addition, a number of meetings have taken place at ministerial level within the framework of the Conference during the period concerned. These have included: a meeting between the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry and Lord Arran, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, in Dublin on 24 March 1993; a meeting between the Minister for Health and Lord Arran, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, in Hillsborough on 14 June 1993; a meeting between the Minister for the Environment and Mr. Robert Atkins, Minister of State, in Belfast on 21 July 1993; a meeting between the Minister for Health and Lord Arran, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, in Dublin on 12 November 1993; a meeting between the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht and Mr. Michael Ancram, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, in Belfast on 3 December 1993; a meeting between the Minister for Social Welfare and Mr. Robert Atkins, Minister of State, in Dublin on 15 December 1993; and a meeting between the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry and Baroness Denton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, in Newcastle, County Down on 13 April 1994.
Ministers have been accompanied in all instances by officials.