The head of the UK's lobbying watchdog has called for stricter disclosure rules to reveal which ministers are being lobbied, and for a review of exemptions used by David Cameron and Philip Hammond. Harry Rich, registrar of consultant lobbyists, said requiring lobbyists to disclose which ministers or permanent secretaries they contacted would 'significantly assist transparency'.
In a submission to parliament's public administration and constitutional affairs committee, Rich suggested declarations should include the target minister, dates, medium of communication, and topics. He noted that the fact that lobbying targets are not identified on the register 'feels like a significant gap'. Rich also said bringing contact with special advisers under the regime would 'definitely enhance transparency'.
Rich highlighted difficulties in enforcement due to incomplete government records of ministerial meetings. The Guardian recently revealed disparities in departmental disclosures, with Liz Truss declaring just two meetings as foreign secretary in three months compared to 51 by the Welsh secretary. Rich said more timely and complete data would make compliance easier.
The watchdog recently found former Conservative MP Owen Paterson broke rules by failing to register as a lobbyist for Randox. However, loopholes allow senior politicians to argue they are not covered. Exemptions for in-house lobbyists and 'incidental' lobbying were used by David Cameron for Greensill and Philip Hammond for OakNorth Bank. Rich described the incidental exemption as 'the most contentious, vague and problematic drafting in the legislation'.
