Alliance for Lobbying Transparency event 

Lobbying Exposed
Wednesday 28 January 2009
10 – 11am
Room M, Portcullis House, Westminster
All welcome.

Earlier this month MPs urged tighter controls over lobbying, and recommended the introduction of a statutory register of lobbying activity in the UK.

You are invited to attend this event – Lobbying Exposed – to find out how a lobbying register might work in the UK, and what we can learn from a working register in the United States.

Speakers:

• Kelvin Hopkins MP, a member of the Public Administration Select Committee

• Sheila Krumholz of the US Centre for Responsive Politics, known for its award-winning website opensecrets.org . Sheila will look at how the lobbying register in the United States works, how it is used by journalists, and how this improves public accountability.
  

 A register of lobbying activity is the key proposal of the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) in its modernising report Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall .

As well as details of lobbyists and their clients, a register would also contain information on  the so-called revolving door between government and outside interests, and details of meetings between decision-makers and lobbyists.  

The PASC report is the result of an 18 month inquiry into lobbying, the first by Parliament for 15 years. Its recommendations are now being considered by the Cabinet Office.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP for numbers (registration isn’t required). Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it