Whether or not it’s right for government agencies to spend taxpayer money to lobby MPs or provide them with fancy drinks receptions – the fact is that we can’t even have a debate about this until we know it’s happening. Which it is. To the tune of £300,000. And that’s just by the staff of Regional Development Agencies.

This sort of hospitality goes on all across the public sector and we don’t know the half of it. I put it to the bureaucrats: if you’ve nothing to fear than you should have nothing to hide. Why should anyone even have to make a freedom of information request for this information? It should be available for all to see in line-item budgets provided online by all public bodies.