Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chloe Smith and Robert Flello

Wednesday 4th September 2013 Commons Chamber

[Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Lab)]

T4. Leading human rights lawyer Helen Mountfield QC said this week that the transparency of lobbying Bill will put“small organisations and their trustees/directors in fear of criminal penalty if they speak out on matters of public interest and concern.”Will the Minister finally wake up and do something about this appalling Bill?

[Miss Chloe Smith]

That leading QC’s advice in fact bears out that those concerns exist under the current legislation. Furthermore, we see a great show of displacement activity among Labour Members because they are afraid of some of their friends coming under scrutiny.