Call for evidence: Introducing a statutory register of lobbyists

The Committee wants to hear your views on the Government’s proposals, and in particular your answers to the following questions:

Questions 

1. Does the Government's consultation paper represent a balanced approach to the idea of a statutory register?

• Does the paper present the evidence in a balanced way?
• Are you confident that the issues covered are ones on which the Government has an open mind?
• Is the Government clear wherever it has a preference for a particular option, and is this preference in each case a reasonable one?

2. Does the consultation paper contain the right questions?

• Is each of the questions asked in a balanced way?
• Are there any important questions that are not asked?

3. Which lobbying contacts are of greatest legitimate public interest?

• Does the consultation paper envisage the capture of appropriate information about these contacts, as opposed to other kinds of contact?

4. How should the Government deal in policy and practice with how it might be lobbied on the issue of a statutory register of lobbyists?

• How open should the Government be about such lobbying contacts?

5. How should the Government analyse the consultation responses, and seek to balance the weight of opposing argument?

6. Do you have any comments on how any proposals emerging from the consultation should be implemented?

All the relevant documentation on the Government’s proposals can be downloaded from the Cabinet Office website.

• Cabinet Office: Introducting a Statutory Register of Lobbyists 
• Committee’s full issues and questions paper

In order to inform the legislative process effectively we need to receive your views by Wednesday 29 February 2012.

Written responses to the Committee will be treated as evidence to the Committee and may be published. If you object to your response being made public in a volume of evidence, please make this clear when it is submitted.

Responses should be submitted by email in Microsoft Word or rich text format. If you do not have access to email, you may send a paper copy of your response to the Clerk of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, Committee Office, First Floor, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA.