Following yesterday's (Thursday 6th November) debate on lobbying transparency in the Scottish Parliament, the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) has urged MSPs to pursuit a proper, working definition of lobbying from the very start.
The parliamentary debate came after the Standards, Procedure and Public Appointment Committee’s Inquiry into Lobbying.
Francis Ingham, Director General of the PRCA, commented: “Watching the debate, it is reassuring to hear that Holyrood recognises the major flaws in Westminster’s Lobbying Act. Our industry is a force for a good in democracy, an opinion many of the MSPs in the debate voiced.
“That being said, there is no room to make mistakes. They have to get this right from the start. Misconceptions about the industry or how we operate cannot be allowed to scupper any hope of a useful register. If Westminster’s Lobbying Act proved anything, it’s that bringing a flawed definition into existence is a roadblock to the transparency we all support. Without that, it can never hope to achieve the real disclosure we champion.”
The PRCA’s contribution to the Inquiry into Lobbying can be read here.