Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill

I am happy to take any interventions. If MPs’ correspondence alone is withheld—regardless of the circumstances—while everyone else’s is disclosed, that will diminish rather than enhance the esteem in which MPs are held. Unfortunately, it will raise the spectre of the possibility of improper lobbying. Above all else, we need to make sure that we are seen as pristine clean and that we have our house in order and have the highest possible standards. The amendments are part of the campaign to achieve that. In recent years, we have seen progress in that regard, whether it is the Register of Members’ Interests or the publication of MPs’ expenses. Those things are part of the same deal.