§ 47. Dr. Kingasked the hon. Member for Woolwich, West, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, if he will give figures showing the amount of the deficit for the year ended 31st December, 1951, in the annual accounts of the refreshment Department under the following heads: food and services provided for hon. Members, food and services provided for the Press, food and services provided for the staff, and food and services provided for strangers.
§ Mr. StewardThe answer is as follows: food and services provided for hon. Members, £7,334; food and services provided for Press, £3,741; food and services provided for staff, £2,098; food and services provided in dining rooms to which strangers are admitted (these rooms are, of course, largely used by hon. Members). £8,204.
The figures given include wages paid to staff during Recess periods, and overheads for the year, the latter being apportioned pro rata to income.
§ Dr. KingWhile thanking the hon. Gentleman for his reply, may I ask if he is aware that when he published the first statement of accounts of the Kitchen Committee in July, the "Evening Standard" published a headline "Commons lose £21,000 feeding Members of Parliament," when it knew that even from the facts given at that time such a statement was false and misleading and damaging? Does he not agree that headlines in the Press ought to bear some relation to the truth? In view of the facts which he has revealed in his statement today, does he not agree that the "Evening Standard" ought to make amends with the truth?
§ Mr. StewardI have no power to influence headlines in the Press.