Golden league

Some MPs who earn Sir Malcolm Rifkind’s rate of £5,000 a day:
— Sir Tony Baldry (Banbury): £3,333 for four hours work as deputy chairman of Woburn Energy.
— Greg Barker (Bexhill and Battle): £20,000 for 30 hours providing advice to Ras Al Khaimah Development LLC.
— Henry Bellingham (NW Norfolk): £7,500 for 12 hours’ work as non-executive director, Developing Markets Association.
— Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham): £15–£20,000 for ‘about 20 hours a year’ as adviser to National Fostering Agency.
— John Redwood (Wokingham): £27,941 for 40 hours’ work as chairman of Investment Committee of CS Pan Asset Capital Management Ltd.
Source: Commons Register of Members’ Interests

Dry lines

The Rail Safety Standards Board proposed a complete alcohol ban on all trains. Where can’t you get a drink on a train?
— Poland introduced the first complete alcohol ban on domestic trains in 1983. But beer is now permitted.
— Scotrail has banned alcohol consumption on its trains except the Caledonian sleeper between 9 p.m. and 10 a.m. since 2012.
— Thailand introduced an outright ban on alcohol consumption on trains last year.

Welfare check

Which parliaments since 1951 saw real-terms social security rise most and least?

Source: DWP

True calling

Derbyshire Police said they had struggled to create ‘cold-call-free’ neighbourhoods because some people enjoyed visits by salespeople. Some revelations from a cold-calling company:
Best time to call: 4–5pm
Worst: 11am–2pm
Average no. of calls it takes to reach someone: 4.2
Proportion that result in a face-to-face appointment: 1%
Source: Gungho Marketing