No 10 plans statutory register of lobbyists bill by July
Legislation to introduce a statutory register of lobbyists will be published in the next couple of months, Downing Street has said.
No 10 said it would also include proposed reforms to party funding and changes to trade union rules.
The BBC's Norman Smith said this would be politically contentious and could make it harder to get agreement.
It comes after three peers and an MP were accused of agreeing to do parliamentary work for payment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22749803
Lobbying bill will be brought to parliament by end of July, says No 10.
A bill to create a statutory register of lobbyists is to be brought in before parliament breaks for its summer recess next month, Downing Street has announced.
The announcement comes in the wake of a rash of lobbying scandals, which saw a Conservative MP and an Ulster Unionist peer resigning the party whip and two Labour peers suspended after it was alleged that they breached parliamentary rules.
The bill creating a lobbyists register will also include measures to end self-certification of union membership and reform third-party contributions to election campaigns, said the prime minister's official spokesman.
Under the new proposals, unions will be required to carry out an annual audit of their membership and demonstrate that the figures they produce are accurate. The certification officer will be given the power to conduct investigations into the numbers produced, which are vital when ballots on strike action are conducted.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/jun/03/lobbying-bill-statutory-register-parliament
