Calling for reforms to prevent what he described as “the next big parliamentary scandal”, the committee also expressed concern that a dramatic increase in the number of informal cross-party groups also risks “inappropriate influence and access” because it is so difficult to screen. The warnings come after an unprecedented security warning from MI5, released to lawmakers and colleagues earlier this year, accused a lawyer of trying to mislead lawmakers on behalf of China’s ruling Communist Party. Barry Gardiner had received more than 500 500,000 in donations from Christine Lee before the notice was issued. Giving private details to the report, the President of the Communities, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said that indiscriminate engagement with government officials who may be hostile to the interests of the United Kingdom did not adequately address the potential security risks in Parliament. “I’m concerned that we do not share our security and the threats we face,” Hoyle said in an oral statement to the report released Saturday. “These people are not our friends. “Some are our friends, but they have intentions and goals, something that worries me. “If we are not careful, the security implications for the opening of parliament are very, very worrying.” The report – entitled Pan-Party Parliamentary Groups: Improving Governance and Governance – follows a survey earlier this year by the Guardian and Open Democracy, which found that more than 13 13 million has been allocated to a growing network of MEPs from private companies, including healthcare providers, arms companies and technology companies, fueling concerns about the possibility of backdoor influence. The report states that “inappropriate access” by paid lobbyists seeking influence through the APPG was a risk identified as early as 2013, but that the increased transparency introduced since then has not mitigated the risk in the way expected. The threat from hostile overseas states seeking to exercise discreet influence through the APPG was one that had only developed in recent years, lawmakers added behind the report. They said they were convinced by Hoyle’s evidence that it was “a very real danger that needs to be addressed urgently”. APPGs are informal groups representing the interests of MPs and their peers, from China and Russia to cancer, digital regulation, longevity and jazz. They should be chaired by MPs, but are often run or funded by lobbyists and corporate sponsors who seek to influence government policy. The Standards Committee concluded its report: “We are concerned that, if left unchecked, the APPGs could represent the next major parliamentary scandal, with business entities effectively buying access and influence from MPs and decision-makers.” MEPs behind the report said Community authorities should “provide more substantial support” to help MEPs scrutinize the benefits offered by foreign governments. Funding should be made more transparent, while the number of APPGs should be reduced from the current number of 744, the Standards Committee recommended. Enforcement of regulations was also recommended, as were limits on group secretariats to “reduce the risk of inaccessible access”. Standards Committee Chairman Chris Bryant said APPGs “should never be a backdoor for influence in the corridors of power or the pursuit of commercial interests.” Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST “[This] “The report represents a wake-up call for all of us,” said the Labor MP. “The data we have gathered is creepy and shows the urgent need for the house to take action.” In a statement at the time, Gardiner said he “had been in contact with our security services for several years about Christine Lee” and that with no funding received from my office. “
