National academy voices concern over Scottish lobbying bill

The Royal Society of Edinburgh has said that the proposed Lobbying (Scotland) Bill would place unnecessary bureaucratic burdens on charities.

The bill, introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 29 October and now in its second stage, proposes the creation of a lobbying register and the publication of a code of conduct.

Writing in a letter to members of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee, the society’s general secretary Alan Alexander said that the proposed legislation would mean further costs, which would be particularly damaging for small charities.