HC Deb 16 February 1993 vol 219 c121
6. Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much was spent on official entertainment in her Department in the last financial year.

Mr. McLoughlin

In 1991–22, the amounts spent by the Employment Department, ACAS, the Health and Safety Executive, the Health and Safety Commission the Employment Service and the Office of Manpower Economics were £43,281, £6,927, £13,635, £23,500 and £7,858 respectively. This represents three thousandths of 1 per cent. of the Department's budget.

Mr. Banks

The Minister is not going to get away so easily with that answer. I can well understand a modest amount being spent on entertainment, but for his Department to spend that sort of money in 1992–23 and the year before when unemployment has risen every month is an absurdity. What is this year's budget to be spent on—champagne to celebrate unemployment reaching 3 million on Thursday, on pâte de foie gras being stuffed down the throats of employers because Britain is being turned into a sweatshop, or shall we be drinking highballs to celebrate the opt-out from the social charter? The Government have no right to spend taxpayers' money on wassailing in the Department of Employment while the unemployed have nothing to celebrate.

Mr. McLoughlin

It seems that the only people who will be drinking champagne to celebrate 3 million people being unemployed are the Opposition. They have offered no constructive messages and have opposed every training scheme that we have introduced. We shall accept no strictures from the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks), as the one thing that I have been unable to find out is the amount of money spent on entertainment by the Greater London council.

Mr. Dickens

Does my hon. Friend agree that the amount of money spent on entertaining which he announced this afternoon is petty cash compared with the Department's budget? If that money enables our officers and Ministers to tell people that we have low inflation, low taxation, low interest rates and sensible trade union legislation which will attract jobs into this country, is not it just petty cash and was not it stupid to ask that question?

Mr. McLoughlin

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I assure him that any money spent by the Department on such matters is very closely monitored.