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Summary of Investigation – Quintessentially (UK) Limited

Published on: Thursday 9th September 2021

Organisation or Person Investigated

Quintessentially (UK) Limited and any other companies or subsidiaries of the Quintessentially group (‘Quintessentially’).

Matter(s) Investigated

Whether Quintessentially is an unregistered consultant lobbyist, with particular reference to media reports about access for Quintessentially subscribers to senior people.

Registrar’s Decision

That Quintessentially does not need to register, based on the information provided.

Summary of Rationale for Decision

Based on the detailed explanation of Quintessentially’s business activities and explicit assurances in Quintessentially’s letter of 7 September, I conclude that the company has not been engaging in consultant lobbying activity.

Chronology

DateAction
August
Media reports suggesting Quintessentially arranges access to senior people.
6 AugustFormal letter from the Registrar to Quintessentially giving background on the
requirement for registering; asking if their activities in general fall within the
criteria to be registered; and in particular with reference to arranging access
for subscribers to senior people.
18 August

Letter and statutory Information Notice from the Registrar, requiring a
response to his queries by 17 September.
18 AugustEmail from Quintessentially apologising and explaining the letter had only just been received and offering a telephone call.
18 AugustORCL email for Registrar stating that a full written response is required.
19 August Letter from Quintessentially stating no consultant lobbying has taken place.
23 August Letter from the Registrar requiring a substantive response.
7
September
Full response from Quintessentially to the Registrar regarding their activities
and providing substantive assurances that no consultant lobbying is
undertaken.
9
September
Letter from the Registrar to confirm the investigation is complete and
advising Mr Elliott to be cautious about the possibility of engaging in
consultant lobbying activity (perhaps unintentionally) by not making a clear
enough distinction between his role as a director of Quintessentially and his
other activities connected to government.

9 September 2021
Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists
office@orcl.gov.uk