§ Mr. MORTONasked the First Commissioner of Works whether a Return will be made to this House of how the sums of money voted for Government hospitality have been spent?
§ The FIRST COMMISSIONER of WORKS (Mr. Harcourt)A Return is not made to the House of the details of this expenditure, but all the items are accounted for to the Treasury, and passed by the Comptroller and Auditor-General. I will gladly give the hon. Member any information he desires, but I hope the House will not ask for a publication of the details. I should be sorry if the value of Government hospitality were to be estimated by the actual cost of each entertainment, and I should deprecate comparisons of the respective amounts expended on particular bodies of guests.