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Companies that lobby ministers would be forced to be open and transparent about which parties they are working for if the Conservative party is elected to power, according to The Daily Telegraph. 

The announcement comes just nine months after the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) called for tougher regulation in lobbying following a series of scandals. 

In the first parliamentary report on lobbying for more than 15 years, PASC recommended that there should be a statutory register of lobbying activity to bring greater transparency to the dealings between Whitehall decision makers and outside interests.

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said that a Conservative government would be prepared to legislate if necessary, even though the lobbying industry is in talks regarding self-regulation. 

Maude said: 'Greater openness and transparency is needed to help ensure high standards in public life. If the industry fails to self-regulate, it should be prepare for legislation which will ensure greater accountability.'

Francis Ingham, director general of the Public Relations Consultants Association, welcomed the announcement, adding: 'As an industry we need to recognise that this is the last chance saloon - either we make self-regulation truly comprehensive or we will have expensive onerous statutory regulation forced upon us. Those who have buried their heads in the sand need to recognise that they are the ones putting in jeopardy the future of public affairs.'

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