The free hospitality enjoyed by MPs (More than 100 MPs received freebies worth £180,000 this summer, 23 August) contrasts markedly with the required behaviour that was outlined in my induction course into the civil service.
I joined the veterinary investigation service of the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1980. I remember being told sternly how civil servants must be seen to be impartial and I should therefore be very wary of accepting any form of gratuity or hospitality from the public. An exception might be made in some circumstances: for example, during a farm visit to investigate a disease outbreak, it might be permissible to accept a cup of tea from the farmer without risk of compromising one’s integrity.
Laurence Gibson
Stowe, Buckinghamshire
• Why are we still debating the upper limit allowed for freebies? If you are in a position of influence, letting someone buy you even one drink is placing you in a position where you may be asked for a favour in return. “Well, we’ve always done it this way,” is the usual defence. But it’s simple to change an established cultural norm – you just start doing things differently. With the amount of sleaze in our government, it’s time to make the cultural norm “No thanks, I’ll buy my own”.
Peter Campion
Stockley, Wiltshire
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