§ Mr. DjanoglyTo ask the President of the Council how many departmental Christmas cards he and his ministers intend to send in 2002; how much these cards will cost(a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he has sent this year. [88117]
§ Mr. Robin Cook700 Christmas cards (in three different designs) were purchased for my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary and me to send at a total cost of £763.75. These cards were bought in aid of The Children's Society and Amnesty International. The postage cost is some £70; the majority of cards were sent via the Inter-Departmental Service or parliamentary mail. Some 10 hours staff time was spent in addressing and despatching the cards; the gross salary costs for this work were some £75. Sample copies of these cards have placed in the Library.
Given the hon. Member's interest in this matter, I will include him on my Christmas card list for next year.
§ Mr. DjanoglyTo ask the President of the Council how much will be spent on(a) entertaining, (b) Christmas decorations and (c) other festive activities this Christmas season by his Department; and of this sum how much will be spent in Ministers' (i) private offices and (ii) official residences. [88126]
§ Mr. Robin CookThis Christmas, the Privy Council Office (PCO) spent £2,112 on entertaining, £15 on decorations and nothing on other festive activities. The expenditure on entertaining was accounted for by my traditional Christmas party, held to thank all those (hon. Members, parliamentary clerks, officials and others) who helped me in my capacity as Leader of the House. All PCO expenditure was Department-wide, and nothing was spent in Ministers' private offices or in official residences.