Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to exempt universities and university research from the proposed ban on non-government organisations using funds from Government to lobby Government.

Matthew Hancock

As I made clear in the House on 27 April, we are continuing to consider the comments of all interested parties, ahead of the introduction into grant agreements of the clause aimed at protecting taxpayers’ money from being wasted on government lobbying government. We are pausing the implementation, pending a review of the representations made, and to give further time to consider any necessary adjustments to the wording of the clause, or the policy on its implementation, to help to deliver this policy in the best possible way for all involved.