(APG0038)

Written supplementary evidence submitted by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)

 

 

Our concerns are around motivation. Members of Parliament on the committee raised the possibility that private organisations and consultancies may be using their position as APPG secretaries for commercial purposes. The rules on transparency do not provide sufficient detail as to whether this may be the motivation of an organisation running a secretariat. For example, if a secretariat was receiving money from other sponsors (as discussed in the session) and the APPG was not active, we might assume the interests are solely commercial. Right now, it is up to the secretariats to volunteer information about sponsors so we simply do not know which APPGs this might relate to. The CIPR is not concerned if a consultancy is keen to promote itself as a responsible and effective secretary of active APPGs, so long as it is transparent about its funding.

 

11 January 2022