§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list planned expenditure on hospitality for April and May, indicating the date, location and purpose of each event. [35123]
Dr. John CunninghamAt this stage, it is not possible to provide detailed figures for total expenditure on hospitality; engagements will obviously continue to arise up to the end of this month.
However, the major events to take place during April and May have resulted from the UK's Presidency of the European Union. I hosted the Informal Council of EU Agriculture Ministers in Newcastle on 10–12 May, and there have been a number of related meetings at official level. Estimated hospitality expenditure for all these events is in the region of £275,000.