Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department’s total spend on hospitality in the UK was in each of the last five years; and, with reference to page 212 of his Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts 2021-2022, what definition is given to business hospitality in those accounts.

The FCDO publish this data in the Annual Report and Accounts in Note 3 Operating Expenditure under "Business Hospitality". Prior to the merger, the FCO published this in Note 3 Operating Costs under "Business Hospitality" within the Annual Report and Accounts. DFID did not separately disclose the "Hospitality and Entertainment" costs in their Annual Report and Accounts as these are too small. However DFID spend on "hospitality and entertainment" prior to the merger was £40,639 in 2017-18; £39,560 in 2018-19; and £45,236 in 2019-20.

Business Hospitality in the FCDO's 2021-22 Annual Report and Accounts can be defined as direct reasonable expenses incurred when entertaining i.e. food and drink, for non-FCDO visitors or contacts (where appropriate) in the case of supporting the FCDO's Policy Priorities; and the indirect costs incurred due to representational requirements (e.g. cleaning fees, staff costs, childcare for late evening reception where it is mandatory for an officer to represent the UK).