Lobbying
Report |
Government Response |
Oral and Written Evidence
Latest Developments:
The Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) today publishes the Government’s Response to its report Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall.
The Government’s response:
Announces that departments will publish on-line information about ministerial meetings with interest groups and hospitability received in a ministerial capacity on a quarterly basis;
Extends the list of civil servants who will have to publish the details of hospitality and expenses they have received;
Agrees with the Committee that the lobbying industry should be given an opportunity to make self-regulation work effectively, that the industry should “look again” at its current arrangements and its progress should be kept under review; and
Announces that the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments will be put on a more professional basis and will be consulted on the revision of the Business Appointments guidelines.
However, the Government:
Has not accepted the Committee’s case for a statutory register of lobbying activity;
Did not accept that details of meetings between officials and outside groups should be published; and
Has not specified a time frame within which it will make an assessment of the industry’s progress towards effective self-regulation.
The Chair of the Committee, Dr Tony Wright MP, said:
“I am glad that the Government has accepted some of our proposals to increase the transparency of lobbying but disappointed that it has not accepted the case for a statutory register, which is where I think we shall eventually end up.”
Earlier Developments:
Press Notice:
30 June 2009:
Public Evidence Session
Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee
2 July 2009, Corrected Transcript
Tamasin cave, Peter Facey and Owen Espley; Mark Adams, Francis Ingham and Keith Johnston; Rt Hon Angela Smith MP