BBC Democracy Live - Lobbying bill timetable branded an 'absolute disgrace' The chair of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, Labour's Graham Allen, has launched a furious attack on the speed with which the Transparency of Lobbying Bill has progressed through Parliament. The bill has been amended several times in the Lords - including a government defeat the previous day - which Mr Allen claimed left his committee with only two hours to formulate a response. "It is an absolute disgrace, and it cannot be allowed to continue if we are to have any reputation in this House for doing our job on accountability and scrutiny effectively," he said, as the bill returned to the Commons for consideration of Lords' amendments on 22 January 2014. The substance of the amendment before MPs was tabled by the government was to disagree with the Lords in an amendment requiring special advisers to be included on the register of people whose meetings with ministers have to be published Considerable concession Shadow Cabinet Office minister Lisa Nandy asked for a definition of special advisers for the purpose of the bill, saying it would be a "disgrace" if Conservative strategist Lynton Crosby was not covered. "The government has proven throughout this process that it will not stand up to the wealthy and powerful," she claimed. It prefers instead to target charities, trade unions and grassroots campaigners. It fell to Deputy Commons Leader Tom Brake to defend the government's approach, arguing: "Ultimately whether there are contacts with the special adviser or not, it is not the special adviser who signs-off the decision - it is the minister who signs-off the decision." He presented a compromise in the form of an amendment, allowing the government to make regulations to include special advisers on the register. Lib Dem MP John Thurso lent support to the government for making a "considerable concession" that "takes us much closer to the objective we wish to achieve." Later, MPs voted to disagree with the Lords' bid to include special advisers on the register by 311 to 258, and backed the government's compromise without a vote. This is part one of the debate, for part two click here.