Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Conclusion 8
Fourth Report - Lobbying and Influence: post-legislative scrutiny of the Lobbying Act 2014 and related matters
Published 2 May 2024
Paragraph 37
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Lobbying and Influence: post-legislative scrutiny of the Lobbying Act 2014 and related matters All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
If WhatsApp and other Non-Corporate Communication Channels (“NCCCs”) are to be used in government and, in particular, if they are to be used to communicate with third parties, then they should be subject to the same disclosure regime as other forms of contact. Where exchanges by means of NCCCs are in place of a face-to-face meeting or prompt significant consideration in government, they warrant inclusion in the government transparency releases. If an appropriate transparency regime cannot be found that can command public confidence, which we consider the current arrangements do not, the use of any NCCCs should be blocked on official devices.
From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Fourth Report - Lobbying and Influence: post-legislative scrutiny of the Lobbying Act 2014 and related matters (HC 203), paragraph 37, 2 May 2024
Government response
No government response linked yet: deadline 2 July 2024, 852 days ago.