Getting anyone to talk openly about lawyer MPs' interests outside Parliament is not easy.

Not one of the handful of those contacted for this article was available for interview.

Whether this was because it is such a sensitive subject or that their extra-curricular activities leave them so little time was not clear.Even former MPs (who remain as lawyers) and lobbyists were prepared to speak only on the basis that their comments were unattributable.

Not, you understand, because there is anything untoward going on.

The current system - perhaps with a little tinkering - works very well.Nevertheless, the early signs from the Nolan committee are that, in future, the present self-regulatory regime under which MPs have to declare their interests may be changed.

Suggestions being mooted so far include greater openness about who is paying them, and for what; a distinction being drawn between MPs simply giving advice to clients and actively lobbying on their behalf.Such changes would, of course, have a bearing on all MPs, but those who are lawyers could be particularly affected.

For example, a small but growing nu mber of law firms are setting up lobbying - or public policy - arms.

They believe that advising clients is not just a matter of interpreting the law as it is on the statute books, but should extend to trying to predict what it is likely to be before it gets there, and helping to shape its formulation to the best advantage of the firm's clients.One lobbyist who runs a law firm's public policy arm said: 'Where do you draw the line between the solicitor's work and the work we do? Our strategy is to be a modern full service firm, where all aspects are integrated.'If MPs were banned from working for specialist lobbying companies, would law firms fall into this category? If so, would lawyer MPs also be prevented from being associated with such firms at all, in whatever capacity? As one observer asked: 'What really is the difference between a lawyer MP asking questions on behalf of a client for whom he acts purely as a legal adviser, and asking questions on behalf of one for whom he has been retained as a lobbyist?'A former MP who remained in practice as a solicitor during his time in Parliament believes greater disclosure of interests could cause severe problems to lawyer MPs.

'The confidentiality of the client is fundamental to the legal profession.

There are circumstances where the client does not want it to be known that solicitors are acting for them or who their solicitors are.

Solicitors can make inquiries in all sorts of places on their behalf without declaring the client.

I feel very strongly that that should remain.'If lawyer MPs were forbidden to ask questions on behalf of their corporate clients, would this also rule out any intervention on behalf of individual clients, say, who had fallen foul of legislation such as the Child Support Act? 'Some people are quite incapable of putting their own case, and if their constituency MP does not have the interest or the knowledge to argue on their behalf, it is essential that their lawyer, who happens to be an MP, can raise it for them,' says one observer.The former MP sees nothing untoward in his erstwhile colleagues using their 'wisdom and knowledge' to advise clients on which way the parliamentary or legislative land lies.

'If you and I were going to sail a boat to France, whether or not we got there would depend entirely on our combined expertise and skills.

That is how it is for companies.

However, we would be a bit bloody daft if we did not find out the weather forecasts; whether it is sensible to go; how long it might take.

It is that important information which MPs can provide to companies,' he said.Although a measure of greater disclosure might be necessary, the former MP insists that the system as a whole works well and does not need a major overhaul.

He accepts, however, that there have been some unacceptable abuses by MPs.

Accepting money for questions is 'totally out of court'.

But, he added: 'That is a symptom, not a cause.

You need to look at the cause, which is that some MPs are extraordinarily hard up and, therefore, have a price.'The solution, he says, lies in paying MPs properly.

The current salary of around £30,000 is nowhere near enough to meet the basic costs that go with the job.

A salary of double the current rate, or more, would be more appropriate and mean fewer MPs were led into temptation.This former MP is not alone in blaming the poverty of members for some of their bad behaviour.

Sue Stapely, head of the press and parliamentary unit at the Law Society, also agrees that they are underpaid.

If salaries were increased to, say, £50,000, this woul d attract a higher calibre of candidate, she says, who, presumably, would be less susceptible to accepting offers of cash from other sources.However, solicitor Andrew Dismore, who is active in local government, believes being an MP is and should be a full-time job.

He accepts that going into Parliament may mean a pay cut for many candidates, but insists they are currently being paid the rate for the job.

'MPs, compared to the rest of the world, are well paid.

The problem is that lawyers who get involved with politics tend to be quite good as lawyers and so may be earning more than they would get as an MP.' While this may make it tempting to carry on with a bit of barristering or whatever, 'people have got to make a choice.

Either you are a full-time, professional MP, or you are not,' said Mr Dismore.However, apart from it being expedient in many cases, Ms Stapely sees positive advantages in lawyer MPs remaining in practice.

A former parliamentary candidate herself, she says she would have carried on working as a solicitor had she been elected.Solicitor MPs who maintain a day-to-day link with their firms have a crucial role to play in helping the government to hone legislation so that it is actually workable in practice, she says.In any event, and whatever the Nolan committee recommends, the days of lucrative sidelines for MPs may be coming to an end.

Research by Clifford Chance shows that there is now precious little kudos in having an MP on your company board.