The Government's lobbying Bill
Auteur: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Political and Constitutional Reform Committee
Nombre de pages: 43 pages
ISBN: 0215067843, 9780215067845
Edition: Stationery Office
Date de publication: Stationery Office
Description: The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee published online its second report on the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill, in time for consideration of Lords amendments by the House of Commons on 22 January. The haste with which Lords amendments were returned to the Commons is yet another example of the way in which this Bill has been rushed through Parliament. The timetable that the Government has imposed for this Bill indicates contempt for Parliament and a lack of belief in the value of parliamentary scrutiny. Part 2 of the Bill, on third party campaigning remains problematic, but the Committee continues to have serious concerns about the very narrow scope of Part 1, on lobbying. Without the changes recommended in the Committee's original report (7th report of session 2013-14, HC 601-I, ISBN 9780215062352) to broaden the register, Part 1 of the Bill will do little to increase transparency about who is lobbying whom and for what purpose. Despite significant changes to the Bill, the Committee would still like further amendments: Part 1 to include Senior Civil Servants within the list of people with whom contact counts as lobbying; in Part 2, the maximum expenditure limits for third party campaigning to be restored to their current levels in England, Scotland and Wales (the Committee is content with the proposed increase in the limit for Northern Ireland; the reporting and accounting requirements in Part 2 of the Bill to be made less bureaucratic.