§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) in the light of the fact that the Refreshment Department budgets for a minimum mark-up profit of 50 per cent. on all items sold in the catering establishments and that this includes a profit figure of 116 per cent., whether he will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain how and why a loss is made; and what action he can take to save expenditure in this field;
(2) why the House of Commons Refreshment Department, which works on a profit mark-up of between 53 per cent. and 150 per cent. on all items of food and drink sold, and for which all expenses except £250,000 are met by the Treasury, still makes a loss on turnover of £800,000 per annum.
§ Mr. Charles IrvingI have been asked to reply.
The hon. Member is misinformed. Although the new financial arrangements have only been in operation since 1 April, I can assure him that losses of the kind described are not being made.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, 199W whether the wages cost of £50,000 to the Refreshment Department for banqueting are paid for by those who use these facilities.
§ Mr. Charles IrvingI have been asked to reply.
Yes. This was one of the aims of the recent price review.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, who are the accountants and auditors who deal with the annual accounts of the Refreshment Department of the House of Commons; how long they have been dealing with these accounts; and who were their immediate predecessors.
§ Mr. Charles IrvingI have been asked to reply.
Two accountants have been appointed to deal with the trading account now that the Refreshment Department is a Department of the House. Before 1 April there was a financial controller, who had been employed for a little over two years, but his post was not renewed under the new arrangements. Both under the old and the new system, responsibility for auditing the accounts rests with the Comptroller and Auditor General.