§ 54. Mr. SORENSENasked the hon. Member for the Gorton Division, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, the 2138 total receipts for, respectively, Imperial and British alcoholic liquor, cigars, and cigarettes sold in the House of Commons during 1928 and 1930?
§ Mr. COMPTONAs the Kitchen Committee do not keep separate records of the receipts for. Imperial and British acoholic liquor, etc., it will, I regret, be impossible for me to supply the hon. Member with the numerous statistical details mentioned in his question.
§ Mr. SORENSENWould it be possible for the hon. Gentleman to provide information, on the one hand, as to the amounts of foreign liquor, cigars and cigarettes consumed, and a statement of the total amount sold?
§ Mr. COMPTONThe Kitchen Committee is a feeding, and not a statistical, Department.
§ Mr. SORENSENDoes the hon. Gentleman keep accounts in connection with his Department; and, if so, would it not be possible for him to discover just what proportion of these goods manufactured in this country or in our Empire are consumed by Members of the Conservative party?
§ Mr. COMPTONThe accounts are audited, and it would be possible for us to get out the details, but I have decided that the expense involved would net be justified.