Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I have pleasure in moving this debate today. Our request is simple: we have to introduce a statutory register of lobbyists in Wales, the only part of the UK not to have a register of lobbying activity.

Lobbying is defined as any attempt by individuals or private interest groups to influence the decisions of Government. In its original meaning, it referred to efforts to influence the votes of legislators, generally in the lobby outside the legislative chamber. Lobbying is a legitimate and crucial part of a healthy democracy. Lobbying can be the main avenue for advocacy. It helps inform our efforts to deliver legislative solutions to the problems facing Wales. It helps us develop new policies and enables us to scrutinise existing ones. Every healthy democracy has an element of lobbying activity.

However, lobbying can also be a danger to democracy, allowing the stink of corruption to permeate our democratic institutions. There has been a history of undue influence in our parliamentary democracy. In the 1920s, an oil company paid a large sum of money to Winston Churchill in order to secure sole access to the Persian oil fields. Throughout the twentieth century, the influence of lobbyists continued to grow. But things came to a head in the 1990s.

During the early part of the 1990s, John Major's Government was embroiled in lobbying scandals. Jonathan Aitken, Minister for Defence Procurement in 1992, was jailed in 1999 for his role in the arms to Iraq scandal. Aitken had previously worked for a defence contractor. In 1994, The Guardian reported that parliamentary lobbyist Ian Greer—[Interruption.] No, I haven't missed anything out. In 1994, The Guardian reported that parliamentary lobbyist Ian Greer had also bribed two Conservative Members of Parliament in exchange for their asking parliamentary questions and performing other tasks on behalf of the owner of Harrods, in what became known as the cash for questions affair.

Shortly after the 1997 election, Bernie Ecclestone met with Tony Blair to ask would Formula 1 be exempt from a ban on tobacco advertising. Mr Ecclestone had donated more than £1 million to the Labour Party. So over the next decade the Blair Government were beset with scandals involving lobbying activity. [Interruption.] Sorry? Do you want an—