§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of(a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by his Department in each of the last four years. [38919]
§ Mr. MacShaneIn-house canteen services are provided by an external contractor. Staff pay for their own refreshments, although the FCO has provided a subsidy to the contractor as follows:
Financial Year Amount Paid 1997–98 £210,696.31 1998–99 £132,604.26 1999–2000 £99,275.37 2000–01 £200,433.96 2001–02 £179,000.00 (Forecast only) The information requested on part (b) of the question is not centrally maintained and could only he provided at disproportionate cost.