§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total amount spent on official hospitality by(a) his Department and (b) his agencies for each year since 1990.
§ Mr. SoamesThe amounts spent by my Department on official entertainment, refreshments and protocol entertainment for each year since 1990 are:
- 1990–91—£3,900,000
- 1991–92—£4,100,000
- 1992–93—£4,950,000
- 1993–94—£4,580,000
These figures include expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Defence headquarters, by formations and establishments of the armed forces at home and abroad, and by individual officers occupying command and international appointments for which entertainment allowances are payable.
Expenditure on official hospitality by agencies is the repsonsibility of individual chief executives under the terms of their framework documents. The figures are as follows: