Meetings

Lobbying and Cross Party Groups

This page gives details of any meetings held which will, or did, discuss the matter, and includes links to the relevant Papers, Agendas and Minutes.

Note: Meeting Agenda can change at short notice. Particularly where future meeting dates are indicated more than a week in advance. Please check before planning to attend a Committee Meeting that the item you are interested in has not been moved.

Meeting: 02/02/2016 - Standards of Conduct Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 2)

2 Lobbying and Cross Party Groups: Consideration of rules in relation to lobbying in other Parliaments

SOC(4)-02-16 Paper 1

Supporting documents:

  • SOC(4)-02-16 P1 - Cross party Groups

Minutes:

2.1 Members considered the paper and agreed to include reference to it in the Committee’s legacy report.


Meeting: 09/07/2013 - Standards of Conduct Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 5)

5 SOC(4)-05-13 - Paper 4 - Report on Lobbying and Cross-Party Groups - Letter from Chair of Remuneration Board

Supporting documents:


Meeting: 09/07/2013 - Standards of Conduct Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 5)

5 SOC(4)-05-13 - Paper 3 - Report on Lobbying and Cross-party Groups - Letter from Presiding Officer

Supporting documents:


Meeting: 23/04/2013 - Standards of Conduct Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 2)

Consider draft report on Lobbying and Cross Party Groups

SOC(4)-03-13 – Private paper 1

Supporting documents:

  • Restricted enclosure 14

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee considered the draft report.

 

2.2 Subject to circulation of a final clean version with minor amendments, the report was agreed.

 

2.3 The Chair noted that the report was scheduled to be published on Thursday 2 May and that a Plenary debate would be arranged in due course, with a view to the Assembly being invited to endorse its recommendations.


Meeting: 12/03/2013 - Standards of Conduct Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 2)

Consider draft report on Lobbying and Cross Party Groups

SOC(4)-02-13 – Private Paper 1

SOC(4)-02-13 – Private Paper 2

Supporting documents:

  • Restricted enclosure 17
  • Restricted enclosure 18

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee considered the draft report.

 

2.2 The Commissioner noted that there were no major flaws with the current system but that there needed to be some means of recording lobbying activity.

 

2.3 The Committee discussed the possible options in relation to registration of information about lobbying activity. The Committee agreed upon a proposed option and on amendments to the draft guidance on lobbying and access to Members.

 

2.4 Members considered draft rules for the operation of Cross-Party Groups.

 

2.5 The draft report would be amended to include Members comments before being referred to the Presiding Officer by the Chair.


Meeting: 12/06/2012 - Standards of Conduct Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 3)

3 SOC(4)-03-12 - Paper 1 - Letter from the Presiding Officer to the Chair

Supporting documents:


Meeting: 12/06/2012 - Standards of Conduct Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 2)

Review of the Standards Procedures : Consider stage 2 proposals including arrangements relating to lobbying activity

Gerard Elias QC, Commissioner for Standards

Minutes:

The Chair noted that the revised Complaints Procedure would be laid on 20 June.

 

The Commissioner updated the Committee on proposals for stage 2 of the Review of the Standards Procedures.

 

The Commissioner noted that this stage of the review would involve consideration of the Code of Conduct for Assembly Members, to include personal conduct and lobbying; use of Assembly resources; staff-Member relations; salaries and expenses and related matters; the relationship of Members with the Commissioner; and questions of confidentiality. This would also include consideration of matters relating to lobbying and penalties and sanctions.

 

The Commissioner expected nine months would be needed for wide consultation to identify any problems and issues, including consulting with all Members. The Commissioner would provide a report of his recommendations and reasons for them to the Committee by March 2013.

 

It was agreed that a review of the Assembly’s arrangements in relation to lobbying activity should be given immediate consideration as part of the review, even though it was noted that during his 18 months in office no complaint had been raised with the Commissioner in relation to lobbying. The Commissioner would conduct a comprehensive consultation, including internally with Members and the Government, over the summer period and report to the Committee on 9 October as to whether current arrangements were sufficiently robust.

 

In relation to sanctions the Commissioner had received some representations about reviewing the current arrangements and would welcome the Committee’s early views on what it considered appropriate. The Committee agreed that greater discretionary powers in the area of sanctions were needed.