Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bridges of Headley on 25 February (HL6102 and HL6103), whether the Cabinet Office's new rules on grant funding mean that (1) Citizen's Advice, (2) the Territorial Army Rifles Association, (3) the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies, (4) English Heritage, (5) Imperial College, and (6) the Marine Management Organisations, can no longer make representations to them, Parliament or the European Commission, on legislation or policy.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
The clause ensures that taxpayers' funds are not diverted away from their intended purpose and wasted on political lobbying. The clause does not stop any grant recipients from campaigning using other sources of funding.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many lobbying consultancies would need to sign up to the Government's Register of Consultant Lobbyists in order for the Register to be self-funding.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
The Transparency Act requires that the regulations are set to recover the costs of the Registrar’s activities from the industry via subscription charges. The Register of Consultant Lobbyists is nearing the end of its set-phase but ongoing running costs would still be different from projections. The total annual charge paid by each registering consultant lobbyist increased from £750 to £1000 on 1 January 2016. The Government will keep the funding arrangements for the Register under review.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to meet the objectives outlined in the Impact Assessment of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 in relation to in-house lobbyists, specifically increasing the transparency of lobbying by opening it up to public scrutiny and increasing public accountability and public trust in the system of Government.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
The Transparency of Lobbying Act created a statutory register of lobbyists. The Register has increased transparency by requiring that, for the first time, people who are paid to lobby the Government on behalf of others must disclose their clients on a publicly available register. The statutory Register has also enabled the activities of consultant lobbyists to be more effectively scrutinised by requiring lobbyists to declare whether they subscribe to a code of conduct.
In addition, the Register of consultant lobbyists complements the Government’s existing transparency commitment to regularly publish details of the meetings of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries with external organisations and individuals and tackles the problem that it was not always clear whose interests were being represented by “third-party" or consultant lobbyists.
The Register does not include in-house lobbyists because it is, by definition, clear who they are working for when their details are published in the list of meetings of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to amend the meaning of consultant lobbying to include communications with special advisers, as allowed for in section 2(5) of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
The Register complements the existing government transparency regime whereby Ministers and Permanent Secretaries proactively publish quarterly details of their meetings with external organisations and individuals. The Government has no plans to increase the scope of the Register. It is usual practice to publish an updated Code of Conduct for Special Advisers after an election. The updated Code, published on 15 October, does not change the role and powers of special advisers.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on Principle 1.1 of the coalition document <i>The Compact</i> of the new Cabinet Office policy on charitable campaigning for charities in receipt of government grant funding, published on 6 February.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
The new clause is compatible with the Compact because it does not restrict the rights of charities to campaign on behalf of their beneficiaries. What it rightly prevents is this being done with a government grant funded by taxpayers' money, and given for a different purpose.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on government consultations and their policy-making processes of the new policy on charitable campaigning for charities in receipt of government grant funding, published on 6 February.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
This clause does not contravene any organisation or individuals’ right to take part in government consultations or prevent government seeking input on policy in other ways.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any plans to expand the scope of the Register of Consultant Lobbyists to include in-house lobbyists.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
The Register complements the existing government transparency regime whereby Ministers and Permanent Secretaries proactively publish quarterly details of their meetings with external organisations and individuals. While it is clear whose interests are being represented by other individuals and organisations when they meet with Ministers and Permanent Secretaries, that was not the case for consultant lobbyists. That is why the Register was created. The Government has no plans to increase the scope of the register.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action is being taken about consultant lobbyists not on the Register of Consultant Lobbyists.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
Enforcement is a matter for the independent Registrar who has a duty to monitor compliance. The legislation provides a range of powers and sanctions for the Registrar to use in pursuance of this duty and in dealing with those who will not comply, including both civil and criminal measures.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their planned introduction of votes for life would also mean that British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years could fund UK political parties.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
We will introduce a Bill in due course that will make these matters clear.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many charities in receipt of government grant funding were found to have engaged in activity intended to influence or attempt to influence Parliament, government, or the European Commission, or attempt to influence legislative or regulatory action, in each of the past three years.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.