§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much his Department will spend on Christmas trees and decorations this year; how many Christmas trees will be bought for his Department's headquarters; and what are the type and country of origin of the trees; [7569]
(2) how much his Department plans to spend on celebrating Christmas and the new year. [7584]
§ Mr. Arbuthnot[holding answer 6 December 1996]: About £1,300 is to be spent on official Christmas cards. There will also be some associated postage costs. There are otherwise no plans for official expenditure on Christmas and the new year.