§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the function of the Government hospitality fund advisory committee for the purchase of wine; if he will name the current members and chairman; what was (i) the sponsoring Department's expenditure in the last year for which information is available and (ii) the remuneration or expenses paid to the chairman and members; and if he will make a statement. [7613]
§ Sir Nicholas BonsorThe function of the Government hospitality fund advisory committee for the purchase of wine is to
Advise the Minister in Charge of the Government Hospitality Fund on the maintenance of an appropriate standard of wine for use at Official Government functions".The current members and chairman of the committee are as named in the answer given by the then Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Goodlad), to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 24 October 1994, Official Report, column 440:
Chairman:
- Sir Ewen Fergusson
Members:
- Major John Suttees
- Mr. Anthony Hanson
- Mr Mark Savage
- Mr. Sebastian Payne.
The sponsoring Department's Government hospitality fund total expenditure in the financial year 1994–95 was £1,437,191.
The remuneration or expenses paid to the chairman and members of the committee is nil.