UK Public Affairs Council: Member Consultation on Implementation
In response to the Public Administration Select Committee recommendation to establish a single umbrella body covering all those involved in lobbying as a substantial part of their work, the CIPR joined together with the APPC and PRCA to form a Working Party that would consider the recommendation, related matters and make recommendations. The Working Party has now considered these matters and the following statement explains the way forward:
1. A new organisation, to be known as the United Kingdom Public Affairs Council (PAC), should be established at the earliest opportunity in 2010. Membership of the PAC will be through the three signatory regulatory membership bodies, the APPC, CIPR and PRCA, plus, at an early opportunity, the PAC will examine which other appropriate regulated membership bodies might also be invited to join. These bodies will co-ordinate the functions of their own disciplinary code.
2. The PAC will seek to be the self-regulatory body for all involved in lobbying institutions of government, or advising on the lobbying of institutions of government (defined as anyone seeking to influence or present its case to institutions of government, plus those advising on the same) (Annex 1). It will promote openness, transparency and high standards of professional conduct through the maintenance of a publicly-available register and enforceable standards of behaviour.
3. It will be a key objective of the PAC to promote universality, namely the opportunity to join for all organisations and individuals that carry out lobbying or advice on lobbying and their employees. The PAC will consider the possibility of such organisations and individuals being able to join PAC directly.
4. The PAC will be chaired by a senior independent person of stature, from outside the public affairs industry, and will draw on others from outside the industry. Governance procedures will be developed to ensure that a mechanism exists so that all parts of the industry can be represented on the PAC.
5. The publicly-available register held by the PAC will list the names of individuals and organisations carrying out or advising on lobbying, as well as the third party interests that they represent. Regular and accurate completion of a register entry will be a requirement of membership of the PAC.
6. The PAC will set out the behaviour expected of all in public affairs, taking into account the views of relevant stakeholders, and adherence to these standards will be a condition of membership of the PAC. These standards will be expressed via the signatory bodies' own Codes of Conduct. The PAC members will co-ordinate their existing Code functions, drawing on a common pool of independents to consider Code breaches, with all members abiding by the disciplinary decisions reached.
7. The PAC will work to establish a kite mark/form of registration, awarded to member organisations meeting the standards defined by the PAC. Withdrawal of the mark would be one of the sanctions available against members found to be in breach of the required standards.
8. An implementation team has been established to take forward the detailed issues to be resolved. The APPC, CIPR and PRCA are delighted that Sir Philip Mawer has agreed to chair the implementation team. CIPR representatives on this team are Elspeth Graham and Keith Johnston.
The CIPR would now like your views on the above and the implementation of the United Kingdom Public Affairs Council.
Please submit any comments by Friday January 29 to Elizabeth Bowen, Public Affairs Officer, at elizabethb@cipr.co.uk