A teething little problem of diplomacy and recognition

I am, as you are aware, a civil servant. Whilst this condition can be treated with cups of tea, a little time spent with pieces of paper and a generous pension (and it isn't actually that generous, before anyone starts), it does come with a thicket of rules.

So, for example, if I accept hospitality, or have it foisted upon me, from a foreign government, even if it is only because I'm accompanying my wife on a visit, I should declare that, shouldn't I? What if, in this instance, the foreign government concerned isn't formally recognised by the United Kingdom? I have raised this with my manager, who is perplexed, so I'm clearly going to have to ask a few questions of our HR people.

For Ros, it is easy, as she will declare it on the House of Lords Register of Members' Interests (she may already have done so for all that I know). As far as I'm concerned, however, it might have been simpler not to be transparent. Oh well, we'll have to see what they've got to say...