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**Hugh** · 31-12-2012, 14:41

Actual information from Hansard...

Quote:

Communities and Local Government
Catering

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on refreshments since May 2010. [127114]

Brandon Lewis: We have interpreted refreshments to mean food and drink for meetings. My Department has taken a series of steps to reduce spending in this area, as illustrated by the following table:

Spending£
April 2008 to March 2009 553,230
April 2009 to March 2010 456,142
April 2010 52,864
May 2010 to March 2011 141,939
April 2011 to March 2012 32,054
April 2012 to October 2012 42,225

My Department daily holds conferences, seminars and meetings with representatives from across the local government, communities, housing and planning sectors, at which light refreshments may be served.

However, guidance to staff now states that refreshments may only be ordered for meetings with external attendees of longer than four hours. Staff should avoid arranging meetings over lunchtime where possible and attendees should normally be asked to bring their own refreshments where practical.

This administration has also clamped down on ministerial and officials’ expenditure on dining through the Government Procurement Card, assisted by online transparency.

Ministerial group spending of taxpayers’ money on Government Procurement Cards under the last Administration included the likes of ‘refreshments’ at the Cinnamon Club, the Wolseley, Brasserie 44, Boisdales, Sky City Casino, Inn the Park, Mango Tree, Shepherds, Incognico, Buffalo Bar, Tantric Jazz, Mr Chu's China Palace and Fat Tuesdays.

My Department under this Administration has stopped such spendthrift practices.

So, Arthur, it would appear that in April 2010 (the last month New Labour were in power), they spent more in one month than in the last seven months reported upon in 2012 - are you suitably horrified by this, or doesn't it matter if it isn't the Tories?