Part 4: Foreign Activities and Foreign Influence Registration Scheme Schedule 15: Exemptions Diplomatic missions etc
Paragraph 3(1) provides an exemption from the requirement to register a foreign activity arrangement with a specified person where the purpose of the arrangement relates to providing goods and services that are reasonably necessary to support the efficient functioning of: a diplomatic mission; consular post; or the permanent mission to a UK-based international organisation of a country which is a member of the organisation.
	Paragraph 3 gives the examples of the provision of catering or maintenance services as ones that intended to benefit from this exemption.
	Paragraph 3(2) provides that the requirements to register a foreign activity arrangement or foreign influence arrangement do not apply where the person making the arrangement is a family member that forms part of the household of a principal person, and where they make an arrangement for the purpose of conducting activity that is related to activity carried out by the principal person in their official capacity. This exemption reflects the nature of diplomatic work and the role of family members in supporting a relevant member of staff based in the UK.
	Paragraph 3(3) provides that "principal person" means a member of staff of a diplomatic mission, consular post, or the permanent mission to a UK-based international organisation of a country which is a member of the organisation.
	Paragraph 3(4) provides that a member of the principal person’s family, forming part of their household, includes their partner who is living with them in an enduring family relationship. This is to acknowledge the contribution to the functioning of the mission that can be provided by unmarried partners.
	Paragraph 3(5) provides the definition of "member of staff" for these purposes. These are defined by reference to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
	Paragraph 3(6) defines the following terms that are used in paragraph 3; consular post, diplomatic mission and UK-based international organisation.
Example (1): An arrangement which relates to the provision of goods or services which are reasonably necessary to support the efficient functioning of a diplomatic mission, consular post, or a permanent mission to a UK-based international organisation
The government of country T has recently been specified by the Secretary of State to protect the safety or interests of the UK. The foreign diplomatic mission of country T, based in London, enters into an agreement with a UK based roofing company to repair a leak in the mission’s roof.
Although the roofing company is in an arrangement with a specified government – country T’s diplomatic mission in London, as it is undertaking activities that are considered essential to the functioning of the mission, it is not required to register its activity. If at any point the roofing company undertook other activities beyond the scope of the roofing repairs, it may have to register its arrangement with the diplomatic mission (depending on the nature of those activities).
Example (2): Arrangements which relate to members of the family of a principal person forming part of the principal person’s household
The government of country U asks its Ambassador to the UK to host a dinner at the Ambassador’s residence. The dinner will discuss UK trade relations with country U and will have UK Cabinet Ministers and the Ambassador’s spouse in attendance.
Although the arrangement involves lobbying Cabinet Ministers, both the Ambassador and her spouse will be exempt from registering the arrangement. The Ambassador is exempt as she is acting in her official capacity. The spouse will also be exempt from registration as the activity is connected to activity being carried out by the Ambassador in her official capacity.
Recognised news publishers
	Paragraph 4(1) provides that a number of the registration requirements and prohibitions in the political influence tier (sections 69-72) do not apply to a recognised news publisher (see below for the definition of the term). These are: the requirement to register foreign influence arrangements, the offence of carrying out activities under unregistered foreign influence arrangements, and the offence of carrying out political influence activities tainted by false information. This exemption supports freedom of the press. This exemption does not extend to the enhanced tier (sections 65-68).
	Similarly, paragraph 4(2) provides an additional exemption for persons who are not recognised news publishers, but who enter into arrangements that are news-related foreign influence arrangements (see below). As with paragraph 4(1), this exemption does not extend to the enhanced tier.
	Paragraph 4(3) defines a news-related foreign influence arrangement.
	Paragraph 5(1) defines "recognised news publisher", for the purpose of paragraph 4. It specifies that a recognised news publisher is any of the following:
The British Broadcasting Corporation;
Sianel Pedwar Cymru;
The holder of a licence under the Broadcasting Act 1990 or 1996 who publishes news-related material in connection with the broadcasting activities authorised under the licence; and
Any other entity which (i) meets all of the conditions in subparagraph (2), and (ii) is not an excluded (see subparagraph (3)) or (iii) a sanctioned (see subparagraph (4)) entity.
	Paragraph 5(2) set out the conditions that are referred to in subparagraph 1(d)(i). Where an entity meets all of these conditions, they are considered a recognised news publisher, unless they are an excluded or sanctioned entity.
	Paragraph 5(3) sets out that an "excluded entity" is one which is proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, or one whose purpose is to support such a proscribed entity.
	Paragraph 5(4) sets out that a "sanctioned entity" is one which is designated by name through regulation-making powers under Section 1 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, which authorise the Secretary of State or the Treasury to designate persons for the purposes of the regulations or of any provisions of the regulations. It also includes a person designated under any provision in such regulations by virtue of section 13 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (persons named by or under UN Security Council Resolutions).
	Paragraph 5(5)(a) sets out the circumstances in which news-related material is "subject to editorial control", for the purpose of subparagraph 5(2).
	Paragraph 5(5)(b) sets out the meaning of "control", for the purpose of subparagraph 5(5)(a).
	Paragraph 5(6) defines "news-related material", "publish" and "standards code".