When Neil Findlay MSP introduced the Lobbying Transparency Bill, this was enthusiastically welcomed by the Electoral Reform Society Scotland. The proposals would make it a the statutory requirement for those who lobby MSPs, Scottish Ministers or relevant public officials to record information about their activities in a register. However, in its original form, as a Members’ Bill, it would have struggled to make it through the parliamentary process.
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Neil Findlay MSP
But Joe FitzPatrick, the Minister for Parliamentary Business, has now confirmed that the Scottish Government will introduce its own Lobbying Transparency Bill. This has been welcomed by Willie Sullivan, Director of the ERS in Scotland who said that there was “…a strong foundation of research and consultation for them to build on. Findlay’s ideas are many times better than the current knee jerk proposals from Westminster. Such moves have the chance of helping Scotland become a shining light of open transparent government.” It’s understood ministers will bring forward legislation before the next election in 2016.
The society would like to see specific items of information disclosed. They include:
• The name of the organisation lobbying
• The name of the organisation or set of interests that the lobbying is being done on behalf of – if relevant
• The name of the individuals meeting or involved in the campaign
• Employment history of the individual lobbying
• The budget allocated to the particular campaign
• The total budget spent on lobbying by either and both of the lobbying organisation or the organisation they are lobbying on behalf of.
At least one of the lobbying groups — the CIPR — is already on record questioning the need for additional legislation. Having surveyed its members, the organisation said that, while it supported the general aim of the Bill (to increase transparency in public affairs), it believed that in this case legislation is “not the correct response”.
