Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that orchestrated campaigns and pressure groups are not able to (a) inundate and (b) influence the findings of government consultations.

Effective consultation exercises can contribute to better policy making, to improved delivery of public services and to Government accountability.

There is a risk that orchestrated campaigns or pressure groups could unduly influence policy making and departments ought to be aware of this when analysing consultation responses. The Cabinet Office is responsible for the Government Consultation Principles, which provide departments with guidance on conducting consultations. Analysing consultation responses is primarily a qualitative rather than a quantitative exercise, and departments will consider a range of factors in reaching policy decisions following a consultation exercise.