This week, the BCC was cited in the House of Commons debate on National Parliaments and the EU, and in the House of Lords Finance Bill debate. The High Speed Rail (Preparation) Bill continued in the committee stage, and the BCC has highlighted the importance of investment in infrastructure projects for business.
On Wednesday, the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill was published. The Bill seeks to create a Registrar of consultant lobbyists, defined as those who are wholly or mainly funded by the people they lobby for, and whose main business is lobbying. The Bill also introduces regulations to third parties campaigning during election periods, and requirements that trade unions provide information about their memberships. This Bill was debated in the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee on Thursday.
The House of Commons rose for summer recess on 18 July and will return on 2 September.
Next week, the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill will have its second reading in the House of Lords. The Intellectual Property Bill will enter into the report stage of its passage through Parliament. The BCC has highlighted the importance for British businesses to be able to protect their inventions across EU countries, and the creation of a design rights opinion service will enable more IP disputes to be settled without resorting to litigation. The free movement of EU migrant workers will continue to be debated in the House of Lords (EU Sub-Committee for Internal Market, Infrastructure and Employment).
