Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill

The hon. Gentleman is exactly right. I have the latest copy of the Register of Members’ Interests with me. It is now regarded as hugely important and failure to comply with it is regarded as very serious, because the public expect to know the financial considerations that might occupy our thoughts and labours. That is absolutely right. However, the hon. Gentleman will know that the argument goes further than that. This has been the argument for all sorts of organisations for a long time. I have recently finished serving on a Committee dealing with compensation claims, in which the Minister’s Department was involved. We were investigating claims farmers who go round putting a note through people’s doors saying ““We are willing to take up your compensation claim.? Why were we legislating on that? Because the Government, supported by colleagues on all sides, took the view that self-regulation would not achieve the right outcome. I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman has been as critical as I have over the years, but I have had serious cause for concern about the way in which complaints against solicitors were dealt with. Solicitors were self-regulating. Yes, they are a private body, and we are a public body. A Bill is coming down to us from the other end of the building that deals with regulation. These amendments are not about the regulation of private bodies; they deal with the regulation of a public body. Amendments Nos. 1 and 9 would ensure that the House of Commons—a public authority—was governed by regulation, like all the other public authorities. I made the point in an intervention on the hon. Member for Sheffield Brownhills—