Earlier this month the National Audit Office (NAO) released its findings from an investigation into the acceptance of gifts and hospitality by government officials. The report states that officials often need to engage with a range of external contacts to carry out their work efficiently and effectively, and accepting modest hospitality is sometimes justified.

However, since the 2009 MPs' expenses scandal, public tolerance for what was previously acceptable has sharply declined. Government officials receiving tickets to professional sports and cultural events, bottles of champagne and iPads, would most likely fall foul of public scrutiny and, according to the NAO, ‘may not be consistent with Cabinet Office principles'.