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Lobbying (Whitehall)

As tempting as my hon. Friend's invitation is, what I have said is on the record. The register should be publicly available and contain the names of individuals and organisations carrying out or advising on lobbying and the details of any third-party interests that they represent. That is the minimum that we would expect of the register. As I move on, the other comments that I make may be helpful. As I said, I have been on both sides of the fence on this issue, and I am convinced that the majority of lobbying takes place in a legitimate and beneficial way. My hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase made the point that MPs are themselves lobbyists for their constituents on issues of concern. However, we must do significantly more to ensure that lobbying takes place in an appropriate framework and to provide the public with greater reassurance that that is the case.