§ Q31. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Prime Minister whether he will give for the longest and most convenient stated period of time the actual or estimated amount of money spent on official entertainment by his office; how this compares with the three previous years; and whether, in view of the Government's policy of cutting public expenditure, he will drastically reduce such entertainment in the next 12 months.
§ The Prime MinisterThe figures for the last four financial years are as follows:
£ 1975–76 … … … 3,523 1974–75 … … … 1,983 1973–74 … … … 1,145 1972–73 … … … 1,748 There is little scope for the drastic reduction of this modest expenditure, but I shall continue to exercise the strictest economy.