§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the amount spent by(a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on (i) food and (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by his Department and how much reclaimed. [34445]
§ Beverley HughesThe detailed information required is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The available information relating to expenditure on hospitality and entertainment by the department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies is shown in the table:
£ Financial years Expenditure 1997–98 68,803 1998–99 84,468 1999–2000 91,509 2000–01 74,655 Expenditure by Ministers on hospitality and entertainment averages four per cent. of the Departmental total each year.