Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will conduct a review of the codes of conduct accepted by the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists in light of the number of registrants declaring their own self-authored code.
The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists is an independent office holder who is responsible for maintaining and updating the lobbying register; registrants are required to state whether they comply with a code of conduct and in accordance with the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014, the Registrar must be able to inspect any such code of conduct. The Transparency of Lobbying Act defines a “relevant” code of conduct as one which “governs the carrying on the business of consultant lobbying” and it is for the Registrar to determine whether a Code of Conduct meets this test.
The Department does not intend to undertake a review of the codes of conduct submitted by those on the register to the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists. It is for the independent Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists to determine whether a code of conduct that a registrant wishes to declare on the Register is 'relevant'.
I understand that the new Registrar will shortly launch a consultation on codes of conduct.