QUANGOS Spend public cash to get more public cash

The Sunday Times today reported that public bodies are spending about £2m a year on political consultants to help them lobby ministers and MPs for more tax payers’ money. Some departments have failed to respond so their could be many more hidden lobbying contracts.

In the USA they have a handy little law to prevent public funds being spent on lobbying:

Sec. 1352. Limitation on use of appropriated funds to influence
certain Federal contracting and financial transactions

-STATUTE-
(a)(1) None of the funds appropriated by any Act may be expended
by the recipient of a Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative
agreement to pay any person for influencing or attempting to
influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of
Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a
Member of Congress in connection with any Federal action described
in paragraph (2) of this subsection.

(2) The prohibition in paragraph (1) of this subsection applies
with respect to the following Federal actions:
(A) The awarding of any Federal contract.
(B) The making of any Federal grant.
(C) The making of any Federal loan.
(D) The entering into of any cooperative agreement.
(E) The extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or
modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative
agreement.

http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t29t32+1818+0++(%27influence%20%20or%20attempt%20to%20influence%27)

Got to get us one of those laws. In the mean time we have to use freedom of information to make them accountable.

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