§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will name the two suppliers and their wives who were entertained to dinner by the Refreshment Department General Manager of the House on 14 November 1979; which room was the venue for the dinner; and what was the total cost, including wines, liqueurs and cigars;
(2) how many hon. Members were entertained to dinner by the Refreshment 103W Department General Manager on 14 November 1979 when two suppliers and their wives were present; what was the total cost of the dinner, including wine, liqueurs, cigars and the hire of the room; what was the reason for the special function; and who paid the bill.
§ Mr. Charles IrvingI have been asked to reply.
On the occasion when, in accordance with normal commercial practice the General Manager entertained four guests to dinner in Terrace Dining Room C, the full selling price of £47.29 was charged against the Refreshment Department's entertainment allowance, the actual cost to the Department being £24. No Member was present, and liqueurs and cigars were not served. I authorised this expenditure.
The Refreshment Department, like all other organisations involved in commerce, does not disclose the names of suppliers.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will conduct an investigation into financial control and propriety of behaviour in the Refreshment Department; and if he will place a copy of his report in the Library; (2) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Keighley of 17 April, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on the investigations conducted into alleged irregularities in the Refreshment Department.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by the Chairman of the Catering Sub-Committee to the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire, East (Mr. McQuarrie) yesterday. I mentioned no report in my reply on 17 April and stated that the situation had been thoroughly investigated by my hon. Friend the Chairman of the Catering SubCommittee.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much money was authorised to be spent on entertainment and travel by the General Manager of the Refreshment Department in 1979–80; what was the allocation of this money under the main headings; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles IrvingI have been asked to reply.
104WThe General Manager's entertainment allowance is £1,500 per year. All expenditure under this heading is countersigned by the Chairman of the Catering Sub-Committee. During the course of 1979–80 the General Manager, with my approval, visited Ottawa, along with other Officers of the House, to study the Canadian Parliament's catering arrangements, on which the new system recently introduced in the House is largely based. The cost to the Refreshment Department of the General Manager's participation was £541.70.
§ Mr. Crowtherasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what rules govern the acceptance of tenders for the supply of goods to the Refreshment Department.
§ Mr. Charles IrvingI have been asked to reply.
The procedure for ordering non-perishable goods is laid down in the second report of the Services Committee of 1975–76, and will continue to be observed by the General Manager of the newly constituted Refreshment Department. Since 1975–76 two alterations have been made in the procedures. First, the sum of £250 mentioned in paragraph 5 (c) of the report has been replaced by £1,000. Second, I am consulted at an earlier stage—that is, before tenders are invited for orders in excess of that amount and not merely just before the order is placed.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the loss sustained during 1979 from the operation of the private dining rooms in the House.
§ Mr. Charles IrvingI have been asked to reply.
The loss during the financial year 1978–79, the latest year for which figures are available, was £110,743. Since its appointment in June 1979, the Sub-Committee has taken steps to reduce this figure substantially.
§ Mr. Crowtherasked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make a statement concerning the dismissal of Mr. George Williams from the post of Financial Controller of the Refreshment Department.
105W
§ Mr. Arthur BottomleyThe Commission decided on 16 July 1979 that it would not be prepared to answer questions dealing with individual members of the staff of the House.