The Statutory Register

Background

The Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act received Royal Assent on 30th January 2014 the bill received Royal Assent. Amongst other things the legislation introduced a statutory register of consultant lobbyists and established a Registrar to enforce the registration requirements.

The Government established the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (ORCL), an independent statutory office, working within the Cabinet Office, responsible for publishing the statutory Register of Consultant Lobbyists. Alison White was appointed as the first Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists in September 2014, charged with establishing the new register.

The register of consultant lobbyists is now open and all third-party consultants engaging in lobbying, under the terms set out in the legislation must register (see current register HERE). The statutory register requires registrants to submit a quarterly return which gives the names of their clients and declares whether or not they subscribe to a relevant code of conduct. The register is searchable by the names of consultant lobbyists and by the names of clients submitted. The cost for any organisation required to submit all four quarterly entries is currently £1000 per annum.

You can find out more about the statutory register HERE or you can contact ORCL directly by emailing enquiries@orcl.gov.uk or calling 0207 271 8827.

You can find out our view of the Government’s statutory register in our news section HERE.