Responding last Friday to the Public Administration Select Committee’s inquiry into lobbying, the Government ruled out a statutory register, saying its preferred approach remains voluntary self regulation.

The Government also rejected calls to publish details of meetings between senior civil servants and outside interest groups saying this “would involve collating a huge amount of information and divert significant resources within departments”.

Speaking from Ottawa where he has been participating in a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference on the theme “Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy”, the MP said: “This is a hugely disappointing response. We need as much transparency as possible to show who is lobbying whom and to what purpose .”

The MP added: “Many countries, including Canada, have a mandatory register of lobbyists and, after a few moans and groans, they all get on with it and make it work. Canada also requires senior decision makers in the public service to disclose meetings with interest groups.”

“The Government’s decision to stick with voluntary self regulation is simply postponing the inevitable. A mandatory register of lobbyists will arrive, sooner or later.”

The Pendle MP is a member of the Public Administration Select Committee. He also chairs the All Party Canada Group at Westminster.