Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:45 pm on 20 March 2018.

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Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 2:45, 20 March 2018

Well, none of what the Member has said has any basis in fact at all, but it's a matter for him to talk about whatever he wants to in this Chamber. I wouldn't advise him to do that outside this Chamber, by any stretch of the imagination. But, it's not a matter for Government introduce legislation. It's a matter for the Assembly itself. Let's remind ourselves that the Standards of Conduct Committee conducted an inquiry to consider whether the arrangements for transparency around lobbying were fit for purpose and appropriate to the Assembly. It reported back with five recommendations, which didn't include the establishment of a lobbying register at the present time. That is a matter for the committee itself. It's not right for the Government to introduce legislation such as this. It's a matter for the Assembly, corporately, to consider it, as it has done through the Standards of Conduct Committee.