All government grant agreements will now include a clause which
prevents government funding from being used to lobby for new
regulation or to lobby for more government funding. The government
argues that freedom of speech will be protected as the clause will
not prevent charities from using money from other sources to lobby
the government.
The wording to be inserted into all new and renewed grant
agreements signed after 1 May 2016 is as follows:
'The following costs are not Eligible Expenditure: Payments
that support activity intended to influence or attempt to influence
Parliament, government or political parties, or attempting to
influence the awarding or renewal of contracts and grants, or
attempting to influence legislative or regulatory
action.'
The Cabinet Office has published interim guidance on how these new
rules should be implemented which is available here.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
