§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list the official functions he has hosted at 10 Downing Street since taking office indicating the number of guests who attended each event, the cost of each event and the total expenditure on such events over the period; and how many(a) functions and (b) guests attending each there were in the previous year and at what cost. [18178]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 28 November 1997]: I have hosted 26 official functions, details of which are as follows:
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Date Number of persons 7 May 25 13 May 120 8 June 5 11 June 3 12 June 5 14 June 25 26 June 4 15 July 13
Date Number of persons 17 July 7 22 July 104 24 July 3 30 July 186 2 September 4 4 September 50 17 September 4 18 September 2 24 September 24 7 October 10 15 October 200 20 October 210 21 October 5 4 November 12 13 November 2 10 December 210 11 December 14 15 December 18 The figures include General Receptions, working lunches and dinners as well as other functions.
Total costs are not available in the form requested; nor are details of functions and numbers of guests in the year leading up to 2 May. However, for expenditure on official hospitality within my Department I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service on 5 December 1997, Official Report, columns 376–77.