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Investigation case summary – Finn Communications activity with APPG for British Bioethanol

Monday 28th October 2019

Organisation or person investigated 

Finn Communications Ltd

Matter(s) investigated

Activities of Finn Communications in provision of secretariat to All
Party Parliamentary Group for British Bioethanol.

Registrar’s decision

Finn Communications Ltd’s activity in support of the APPG for British Bioethanol did not amount to consultant lobbying activity.

Summary of rationale for decision

Finn Communications Ltd’s activity in support of the APPG for British
Bioethanol did not amount to consultant lobbying activity.

Chronology

17 July 2019 

Notification received from a third party that Finn Communications 

Ltd (an organisation not on the statutory Register of Consultant  Lobbyists) was listed as providing secretariat services to the 

APPG for British Bioethanol, on both the APPG’s website and the  APPG’s registration papers with Parliament.

17 July 2019 

Letter from Registrar to Finn Communications. Explained remit of  Registrar, legislation and guidance on consultant lobbying, and  indicative evidence received, and asked for a response.

24 July 2019 

Reply received from Finn Communications, stating that they did  not consider themselves as having provided secretariat services  to the APPG on an ongoing basis. Support had been provided on  a single occasion in the form of agreeing to take the minutes of  an AGM of the APPG, with no communications made to  Government by them on behalf of the APPG.

31 July 2019 

Letter from Registrar to Nic Dakin MP, Chair of APPG for British  Bioethanol, seeking confirmation of the extent of support provided  by Finn Communications to the APPG.

18 September 2019 

Substantive response from office of Nic Dakin MP, confirming  Finn Communications’ description of the extent of their support to  the APPG. Confirmation that formal record of support to the  APPG would be amended appropriately.