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Responding to the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee's report published today (Friday) on introducing a statutory register of lobbyists, TUC Head of Campaigns and Communications Nigel Stanley said:

“We welcome the Committee's recommendation that the government should scrap its plan for a statutory register of lobbyists which would have required unions, but not employer bodies, to register.

date: 12 July 2012

embargo: 00.01hrs Friday 13 July 2012

Responding to the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee's report published today (Friday) on introducing a statutory register of lobbyists, TUC Head of Campaigns and Communications Nigel Stanley said:

'We welcome the Committee's recommendation that the government should scrap its plan for a statutory register of lobbyists which would have required unions, but not employer bodies, to register.

'The Committee has also accepted the TUC argument that the key information gap is from those being lobbied. Ministers and others should be far more open about who they meet, what was discussed and the purpose of the meeting.

'While we have no principled objection to registers that include everyone seeking to influence government, we still doubt how practical it will be to divide the staff of organisations such as the TUC into those who lobby and those who don't. But as we support openness we are happy to work on ways to take the Committee's suggestions further.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

- Congress 2012 will be held at the Brighton Centre from Sunday 9 September to Wednesday 12 September. Free media passes can be obtained by visiting www.tuc.org.uk/mediacredentials and completing an online form. Applications must be in by noon on Wednesday 29 August. Any received later than that will be processed in Brighton and will cost £50. Please note that the Brighton Centre requires 60 days' notice for telephone line facilities. Details available on the link above.

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: egibson@tuc.org.uk

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