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Trade unions and charities could be forced to sign up to a new statutory register of parliamentary lobbyists but in-house lobbyists look less likely to have to meet the new requirements, the Government announced today as it unveiled its long-awaited consultation paper. 

Officials said in-house lobbyists would not be included in the register because any meetings they hold with ministers would appear in existing records and their interests would be obvious.

Instead, the Government appears to be following Australia's lead by targeting 'those who seek to influence or change government policy on behalf of a third party'.

'Many large companies have employees whose main duties are to lobby on behalf of that company. The Government proposes that only those lobbying on behalf of third parties should be covered by the Register. Given that is clear whose interests they represent, it is not evident that an extension of the register to in-house lobbyists would provide any additional transparency,' the paper states. 

Mark Harper, Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform, has launched a 12-week consultation on how the register should work and legislation is expected to be introduced in the next session of Parliament.

One suggestion is that lobbyists who deliberately failed to comply with the anti-sleaze rules would face up to two years in prison under the proposals published by the Cabinet Office.

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations welcomed the consultation paper. Chief executive Jane Wilson said: 'The Government is to be commended for producing a policy consultation which makes it clear that it values lobbying and does not want to overburden the industry with excessive regulation. We also believe that the burden of registration should be minimal and it is good to see sensible proposals on the level of disclosure put forward by the Government. 

'Transparency is the CIPR's guiding principle in professional conduct and we have long held the view that the public affairs profession has nothing to fear from a statutory register as long as it is universal, has no 'good cause' exemptions and provides a level playing field in lobbying,' Wilson added.

Francis Ingham, chief executive of the Public Relations Consultants Association, said: 'The PRCA supports the Government's commitment to a statutory register of lobbyists. That register became inevitable some time ago, due to the unfortunate failure of UKPAC to make a unified voluntary register a reality.

'We would caution the Government that a register which fails to include charities, lawyers, trade unions, accountancy firms and the like would be a failure. It would be unfair to multi-client agencies, and would leave a majority of the lobbying industry uncovered. A register that did not include the TUC, CBI, Greenpeace and so on would hardly be a register at all,' he added.

George Hutchinson, managing director of Burson-Marsteller's Public Affairs Practice, also welcomed the proposed statutory register but called for consistency across the industry.

'There remain a few companies and organisations who prefer to keep their activities hidden. In today's business climate, I do not believe that position is tenable or sensible and that is why I am now calling for a level playing field, set out in legislation, that enforces a statutory register for lobbyists,' he said.

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