§ 45 and 46. Mr. Gibson-Wattasked the honourable Member for Holland-with-Boston, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee (1) whether it is a condition of booking a dining-room for commercial or professional bodies for meals in the House of Commons that the invitations should be signed by the Member of Parliament concerned;
(2) whether he is satisfied that the catering facilities of the House of Commons are not being misused by Members who sponsor commercial firms; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Herbert ButcherWith permission, I will answer this Question and No. 46 together since both bear on the Committee's rules for the booking of private dining-rooms.
My hon. Friend will recollect that these rules were printed in HANSARD on 24th July last.
It is an instruction of the Kitchen Committee that a copy of these rules is sent to all hon. Members making bookings. In general the rules lay down that no booking may be made except by an hon. Member; that all invitations must bear his name, and that he is obliged personally to attend the function.
As to observance of these rules, I have nothing to add to the only reply the Committee can give, and which I last gave to 903 the hon. Lady the Member for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle) on 23rd July last—that the Committee can go no further than to require adherence to the letter of their rule; the interpretation of its spirit in the context of the dignity of the House must be a matter for hon. Members individually.
I am satisfied that almost without exception, these considerations are fully appreciated by hon. Members and that few, if any, functions occur to which any objection whatsoever can be taken.
§ Mr. Gibson-WattWhen my hon. Friend says that it must bear the name of the Member, may I ask whether the invitation as such must be signed by the Member or whether it is sufficient for the Member's name to be mentioned in the invitation if it is signed by the secretary of the commercial organisation which is being sponsored? Secondly, may I ask my hon. Friend to continue, as he says, to watch this problem with the greatest care?
§ Sir H. ButcherI would refer my hon. Friend to the first rule, which requires that any advertisement or publicity must be submitted to the manager and to me for my approval as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee before publication, and to the second rule, which says that all invitations and admission tickets must bear the name of the Member in whose name the room is reserved. It is not necessary for every invitation or admission card to be signed by the Member.