Government Departments: Corporate Hospitality

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) with reference to the answer of 3 November 2009, Official Report, columns 885-86W, on Government Departments: official hospitality, if she will amend the register for hospitality received by board members of Government Departments from 1 January to 31 December 2007 to include the hospitality provided by the Chairman of the Audit Commission to the (a) Director General of the Department for Communities and Local Government on 18 August 2007, (b) Director General of the Financial and Commercial Group at the Home Department on 11 May 2007 and (c) Permanent Secretary to the Department for Communities and Local Government on 8 October 2007; and if she will make a statement; (301740)

The guidance to Departments on the recording of hospitality set out in the Government's response to the Public Administration Select Committee's Report "Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall"

http//www.publications_parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmpubadm/1058/1058.pdf

makes clear that in general it is not necessary to record hospitality received from those within HM Government and non-departmental public bodies. There are no plans to amend the register.

Government Departments are publishing details of hospitality received by Director Generals and above on a quarterly basis (starting with the first quarter of 2009-10) on their own departmental websites. Information on hospitality received by board members during 2008 will be published as soon as it is ready.