The Scottish Government's proposals for the regulation of lobbying at Holyrood is in need of a drastic overhaul, according to the Labour MSP who has made repeated calls for a lobbying register.

Neil Findlay fiercely criticised proposals that have been drawn up by the SNP Government after his Member's Bill on regulated lobbying was adopted, describing them as wholly inadequate for the 21st century.

The Lobbying Bill will create a register of contacts who are paid to lobby Holyrood members in face-to-face meetings, events and hospitality occasions in order to provide an ethos of transparency over payments made to MSPs.

Lobbyists will be required to register if they have met, or intend to meet, MSPs and will be required to submit six-monthly returns of lobbying activity.

Mr Findlay's primary concern with the proposals is based on the lack of provision made for certain lines of communications, which he believes will leave the door open for loopholes to be exploited.

Findlay was angered that the Bill will not regulate lobbying by mail or telecommunications, leaving the vast majority of contacts with MSPs unregulated, but Parliamentary Business Minister Joe FitzPatrick said the regulation of all forms of communication could deter engagement with the parliament.

Mr Findlay said: "The Bill as it stands is need of radical amendment to make it fit for purpose.

"I am pleased that colleagues from all parties on the Standards Committee recognised some of the major flaws in the Government's proposal and the need for improvement.

"One of those flaws is that issue of face-to-face meetings between the lobbyist and the lobbied.

"On reading the government's proposal, I wondered whether they think we still live in the 19th Century where telecommunications and computers don't exist."

Mr FitzPatrick defended the integrity of the Bill, and said: "The register should be designed to capture lobbying and not simply engagement.

"While it would be possible, in principle, to extend the registration to all forms of communication, the question is: would that be a proportionate response and would it ensure that it would not deter engagement with the parliament?

"Any negative effects of this sort is precisely what we have to avoid.

"The Government believes that there is a risk that it would have just that effect, to the detriment of both those engaging with the parliament and elected members."

The government has accepted 12 of 17 recommendations of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee, but remains "extremely cautious" about the recommendation to widen the scope of communications.

The Standards Committee fears the decision to exclude other communications "may be too narrow and create the impression of there being options open to organisations wishing to avoid scrutiny", convener Stewart Stevenson told MSPs.

The SNP MSP added: "We have therefore recommended that the decision be take to widen the definition of registrable lobbying to include all forms of communication," he said.

Conservative MSP Cameron Buchanan called for a "light touch" system of registration, and said the Bill must strike a balance between regulation and openness.

"Thankfully we have not been troubled by lobbying scandals in our political system but this does not mean that we might not be," he said.

"It begs the question also: how much needs to be done? "I'm not saying that we shouldn't do anything. On the contrary I think what we should do should be proportionate."