House of Commons Commission

Thursday 9th May 2013 Ministerial Corrections

Food and Drink Subsidy

The following is the answer given by the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (John Thurso), representing the House of Commons Commission, to a question from the hon. Member for Pendle (Andrew Stephenson) during House of Commons Commission Question Time on 28 February 2013.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

7. What progress the Commission has made on reducing the subsidy on food and drink served in the House.

[John Thurso]

The cost of the catering service is expected to have been reduced by £1.1 million over the past three years. It stood at £5.9 million in 2010-11 and £5.1 million in 2011-12. The forecast cost for the current financial year is £4.8 million. The current aim is to reduce the cost further so that by 2015 it should be reduced by £3 million, roughly half of what it was at the start of the Parliament.

[Official Report, 28 February 2013, Vol. 559, c. 472.]

An error has been identified in the oral answer given to the hon. Member for Pendle (Andrew Stephenson).

The correct answer should have been:

[John Thurso]

The cost of the catering service is expected to have been reduced by £1.1 million over the past three years. It stood at £5.8 million in 2010-11 and £5.2 million in 2011-12. The forecast cost for the current financial year is £4.8 million. The current aim is to reduce the cost further so that by 2015 it should be reduced by £3 million, roughly half of what it was at the start of the Parliament.