Although I dislike the tone of this the underlying intention is balanced - preventing use of tax-payer funds for lobbying or seeking contracts. They can still d

Although I dislike the tone of this the underlying intention is balanced - preventing use of tax-payer funds for lobbying or seeking contracts. They can still do those things using funds from other sources. I disagree with it because in the case of health and scientific research (often funded by tax-payers) that often lead to conclusions that should properly influence policy-making, if the people most informed about that research are even partially hobbled from speaking as experts (due to actual or feared conflict with this rule) then the entire country is worse off, and the tax-payer funding may well have a lower cost/benefit ratio. The way it is drafted throws a catch-all over areas that haven't been fully considered and as in many other cases the civil servants and politicians leave it to, and beyond, the last minute to make clarifications. I think the two most important quotes from the guidance are: Q3: Should the clause be included for all types of grant recipient – e.g. public sector organisations and individuals? A: Yes, the presumption is that this clause is always included. Grant recipients are still free to engage in lobbying but should not fund this sort of activity from government grants unless it is specifically part of the terms of the grant itself. Grant recipients who wish to undertake activities expressly prohibited by this clause should raise and use separate funds to do so. Q4: What if an organisation receives 100% of its funding from government? A: Where an organisation receives all of its funding from government it should, first, consider whether it has power to engage in activities prohibited by this clause. If it does, and the organisation wishes to undertake these activities, they should consider alternative funding sources. In the very rare case where the organisation is unable to raise funds from any other source (e.g. because it lacks powers to do so) Ministers may consider on a case by case basis whether the clause should be omitted, or qualified. [0] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/498271/Implementation_Guidance_for_Departments_on_Anti-Lobbying_Clause.pdf https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm...