Morning:
8°c
Lobby groups 'lavish gifts on civil servants'
Joe Murphy12 Feb 2009
Top civil servants are being bombarded with free drinks, football tickets, shows and concerts by lobbyists seeking to influence Whitehall, it was revealed today.
Figures have laid bare for the first time the scale of the secret charm offensive mounted by lobbyists.
Most hospitality involved drinks or dinners but the more lavish treats included tickets to top sporting events such as Wimbledon, the Derby, the Tour de France and Chelsea football matches.
Trips to the Proms and the Chelsea Flower Show were also given to government officials.
The disclosure of the "perks for access" comes a day after Gordon Brown told MPs he was worried about the activities of commercial lobbyists.
Concern has grown since four Labour peers were taped offering to amend legislation in the Lords for fees and the Prime Minister has said he would consider a mandatory register of lobbyists.
The Government has now revealed for the first time a detailed list of hospitality received by the most senior civil servants.
It shows one mandarin, Sir Brian Bender, permanent secretary of the Business and Regulatory Reform department, attended 52 functions - or one event a week.
Gus O'Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, enjoyed hospitality only eight times, while the most senior official at Culture Media and Sport, Jonathan Stephens, recorded 37.
Some departments were showered with far more gifts than others with those dealing directly with business and, or, controlling government contracts clearly favoured.
Officials at the Ministry of Defence listed 221 out of the 1,739 events recorded, with permanent secretary Sir Bill Jeffrey listing 22 events.
Second biggest was the departments for Business whose officials listed 198 events - more than a quarter of which involved Sir Brian. It was followed by Transport, with 146 events, and Health, with 143.
By contrast, the Department for International Development recorded three items of hospitality and the department for Children, Schools and Families 16.
Big companies were usually the hosts at events. Bosses group the CBI was the most prolific, with 41 instances of hospitality, followed by electronics firm Fujitsu.
A string of private sector consultancies vying for government work were among those frequently listed as hosts, including accountants KPMG, Pricewaterhousecooper, Ernst & Young and Deloittes.
The list was compiled after requests for information made under Labour's Freedom of Information laws.
While the British civil service is regarded by ministers as the most honest in the world, there is concern about lobbyists gaining influence.
In the Commons, the Prime Minister said in response to calls for a register of lobbyists: "I agree we have got to take very seriously the problem of lobbyists and what they are doing in both the House of Lords and the House of Commons so we will have to look at all measures that can make the system work better."
The four peers accused of being willing to amend legislation for fees of up to £120,000 were Lord Truscott, Lord Moonie, Lord Taylor of Blackburn and Lord Snape.
All deny wrongdoing and last night the Met announced it would not mount a criminal investigation into the allegations, made after a newspaper sting.
A further four peers - Lord Berkeley, Lord O'Neill of Clackmannan, Baroness Valentine and Baroness Coussins - are also alleged to have sought to influence legislation in the interests of organisations paying them. They too deny wrongdoing.
Ministers are considering an overhaul of parliamentary sleaze rules that could see MPs banned from earning extra cash and peers kicked out for serious misbehaviour.
Reader views (8)
Your politicans are like ours - this is not news - they have been on the take since birth - there is no better job in the world for gratitues. It has been going on forever.
- Rich, San Angelo USA, 13/02/2009 00:27
Report abuse
Corrupt greedy swine the lot of them
Who pays for this ? Not the smoozers or the companies who wine and dine. In the end it is us , the 'ordinary' folk
They have stolen democracy from under our noses. How do we wrest it back , I wonder.
- J B Blackett, Hendon, 12/02/2009 16:51
Report abuse
Unfortunately the Lords and MPs have already set such a bad example that their lackeys now follow suit, too.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland, 12/02/2009 15:32
Report abuse
Very strange. We are not allowed to accept any gifts or hospitality whatsoever in the civil service, and even if we were given a £2.50 book it has to be registered in the Gifts and Hospitality Register. This has got to be the very top layer of civil servants doing this, but then, why does that not surprise me!
- Sue, Orpington, Kent, 12/02/2009 13:44
Report abuse
Hmmm, who'd have thought it? Next you'll be telling us that the same thing happens at local authority level, particularly with the siting of mobile masts.
- Bob, Cheam, 12/02/2009 12:51
Report abuse
Tony Blair & Gordon Brown have systematically politicised the civil Service over the last 11yrs. So why are we now surprised that Civil Servants now 'act'like politicians and grab all the freebies they can. Whats good for the goose etc.... We need Labour OUT, and the next Government to set about restoring the independence of the Civil Service.
- Malcolm, London, 12/02/2009 12:48
Report abuse
When I worked for the Inland Revenue - granted many years ago - we were told in training sessions that NO gifts were allowed to be received from taxpayers not even a cigarette. how doe these senior people get away with being allowed to accept anything? Have Civil Service rules changed or is it as usual one rule for the upper echelons and one for the lower? It is borderline to accepting bribes is it not?
- John, Strood, Kent, 12/02/2009 12:17
Report abuse
Astonishing what seems acceptable in central government is not tolerated at all now in local government
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, England, 12/02/2009 10:39
Report abuse
