HC Deb 24 October 1994 vol 248 c438W
Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the members, salaries and occupations of those serving on the Government hospitality fund advisory committee for the purchase of wine.

Mr. Goodlad

Members of the Government hospitality fund advisory committee for the purchase of wine receive no salaries, allowances or expenses. The chairman is Sir Ewen Fergusson, formerly ambassador to France and now employed by Coutts bank. The other four members are all wine experts and either serving or retired wine merchants. It is not normally customary to disclose their names so as to prevent undue lobbying by members of the wine trade. However, the details are:-

  1. l. Major John Surtees, retired wine merchant
  2. 2. Mr. Anthony Hanson, wine consultant
  3. 3. Mr. Mark Savage, wine merchant
  4. 4. Mr. Sebastian Payne, The Wine Society

Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what have been the(a) annual budget, (b) annual running costs and (c) annual travel costs of the Government hospitality fund advisory committee for the purchase of wine in each of the last five years.

Mr. Goodlad

The chairman and members of the Government hospitality fund advisory committee for the purchase of wine receive neither salaries, allowances nor expenses. The answers are(a) nil—actual purchases of wine are funded separately (b) about £1,500 a year (c) nil.

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