§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest estimate is of the amount spent by his Department on official entertainment in each year from 1996–97 to 2004–05. [169007]
§ Mr. RammellComparable information is available only for the years 2000–01 to 2004–05. The following figures show the actual spend on entertainment within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the first three years, with a forecast for 2003–04 and 2004–05 based upon expenditure to date.
£ 2000–01 8,337,306 2001–02 8,708,262 2002–03 8,612,247 2003–04 18.135,315 2001— 17,687,873 1Estimated. All expenditure on entertainment within the Department is carefully monitored to ensure that it is made in accordance with departmental guidance that is based on the principles set out in "Government Accounting".