Summary of investigation – Octavius GB Limited
Published on: Tuesday 22nd April 2025
February to April 2025
Organisation or person investigated
Octavius GB Limited (“Octavius”)
Matter(s) investigated
Whether Octavius conducted unregistered consultant lobbying.
Registrar’s decision
Based on information and assurances provided, Octavius has not conducted unregistered consultant lobbying in relation to the matter under investigation.
Summary of rationale for decision
Based on substantive and unequivocal written information provided, Octavius has not made communications with ministers for paying clients. Octavius has therefore not conducted unregistered consultant lobbying in relation to the matters under investigation. A separate investigation into Lord Evans of Watford found that he was not paid as an individual, nor through a company, for the events in question.
Under the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 (“the Act”), a registrable communication is made by a VAT registered company or individual communicating with a Minister, Permanent Secretary (or equivalent) on behalf of a paying client.
Chronology
| Date | Action |
| 25 Feb | Article in The Guardian regarding sponsorship of events. |
| 27 Feb | Formal letter from the Registrar to Balmoral Global Capital Limited giving background on the requirement for registering and asking if activities, whether individually or through a company, fall within the criteria to be registered with particular reference to, but not limited to, the Guardian’s article of 25 February. |
| 28 Feb | Email from Octavius stating they are not a lobbying firm. |
| 3 March | Letter from the Registrar to Octavius asking further questions. |
| 3 March | Email from Octavius providing information about AFFINITY and Octavius. |
| 11 March | Letter from the Registrar requesting further clarity regarding AFFINITY, Octavius and Balmoral Global Limited. |
| 27 March | Information Notice issued for responses to questions in the Registrar’s letter of 11 March. |
| 27 March | Email from Octavius providing an initial response. |
| 30 March | Email from Octavius providing further response to the Information Notice. |
| 22 April | Letter from the Registrar concluding his investigation. |
22 April 2025
Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists