Ministers and senior civil servants would face financial sanctions if they ignored lobbying bans imposed by Whitehall’s sleaze watchdog as part of rules being drawn up by the government.
In an overhaul of the Whitehall ethics regime, ministers would be expected to sign a covenant pledging to abide by the decisions of the advisory committee on business appointments (Acoba).
If they breached the rules or failed to consult Acoba they could be forced to repay up to three months’ salary. Civil servants are also expected to have the proposed rules written into their employment contracts and could also face financial penalties if they breached them.
The move is part of a wider overhaul of government ethics rules due to be announced in response to recommendations
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