Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2022 to Question 97062 on Republic of Ireland: Foreign Relations, where that dinner took place; and how much it cost.

As part of the United Kingdom's diplomatic engagement with foreign countries and foreign dignitaries, Ministers and senior civil servants will from time to time provide diplomatic hospitality at home and abroad for business purposes. Foreign governments may also provide reciprocal hospitality at home and abroad.

As highlighted in the answer of UIN 66182, we do not routinely provide details of such hospitality, as this could in itself undermine the national interest. It may compromise the goal of such international engagement by providing a running commentary of which foreign representatives were met and which were not met; how much was spent on one country, as opposed to the other; and diminish the ability to engage in secure and confidential channels of communication by revealing the locations that discrete meetings may take place.

Having carefully considered the public interest in this matter, it is in the national interest not to disclose this information. There is a public interest in respecting international confidences to ensure that foreign states and international organisations are not deterred from engaging with the UK Government. This broader approach is also reflected in the Section 27 exemption of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 passed by Parliament, and in the approach taken under successive Administrations.