The NCC last Friday met with Shadow Cabinet minister Nigel Huddleston during the Motorhome and Caravan Show in Birmingham.
Mr Huddleston accepted the NCC's invitation to their consumer show and briefly toured the halls of the NEC on Friday (17 October), joining NCC Director General John Lally and Deputy Director General Alicia Dunne to hear more about the successes of the motorhome and caravan industry, along with some of the challenges currently facing it. 
Mr Huddleston (Conservative, Droitwich, Evesham and the villages) is the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, including tourism. He has recently called for 100 per cent business rates relief for companies in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors.
In particular during Mr Huddleston's visit the NCC raised the issue of the diminishing number of holiday park camping pitches nationwide, with consumers finding their choices increasingly limited when looking for a touring pitch. We asked Mr Huddleston to consider this from a planning perspective, acknowledging that many holiday park businesses find it difficult to increase pitch numbers due to planning restrictions.
The MP also had the opportunity to meet Nick Page of the Swift Group, Ian Taylor, the NEC's Managing Director of Exhibitions, Karen Dodd, Marketing Director of NCC Events, and Ian Martin of DF Capital.
