Sir,

Regarding ‘UK coalition to mimic EU lobby register‘:

Both the existing European Commission voluntary register and the proposal for a new EU inter-institutional register rely on registration being underpinned by adherence to a Code of Practice/Ethics. At present there is no commitment on the part of the UK government to introduce such a statutory code.

It is unthinkable that the implicit credibility associated with inclusion in a statutory register should be available to those who decline to abide by an ethical code of practice, so we are strongly urging the new UK coalition government to commit to a statutory requirement to abide by such a Code to be introduced alongside the proposed new register.

Yours,

Chris Whitehouse
Managing Director
The Whitehouse Consultancy
Specialists in Public and Parliamentary Affairs
www.whitehouseconsulting.co.uk