Your news item ‘Firms face lobbying scrutiny’ (see [2009] Gazette, 12 February, 6) fails to distinguish between the lobbying that some parliamentarians are involved in and consultancy arrangements that some firms make with lawyer MPs.

The piece refers to some national firms employing parliamentarians at significant salaries, presumably to advise on parliamentary issues, but at the end of the list it then says: ‘Tunbridge Wells firm Fynmores employs Michael Foster MP for Hastings and Rye as a consultant’ as if that is part and parcel of the same process.

I hope I can make it clear that since becoming a Member of Parliament in 1997 I have never on any occasion received a single penny for lobbying on behalf of anyone. I have lobbied for charities (and for that matter the Law Society) but have always refrained from accepting any benefit in consequence.

Before my election I was a partner in the firm of Fynmores (incidentally of Bexhill-on-Sea) and on leaving the partnership was offered a consultancy, which is very straightforward. My old firm are good enough to pay my practising certificate (you can never be sure in politics) and from time to time they seek my advice on legal issues. On the several occasions when I have been more specifically involved in a case I have been paid a portion of the fee charged, but any profit I pay to the Charity Aid Foundation as I think it right that MPs should live on the very adequate MP salary. Personally I would make that a rule, but perhaps on another day.

I have never been asked to ‘lobby’ on behalf of Fynmores in my parliamentary capacity and I would suspect that it has never even crossed the minds of Fynmores partners to do so.

I think it important that articles such as this one try to distinguish between the issue of parliamentary lobbying and the arrangements which are often made with former partners for legal consultancy.

Michael Foster DL MP, Hastings and Rye