Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500 in September 2022, for what reason (a) £588.12 was spent at The Bar Room, New York City on 21 September 2021, and (b) £4,445.07 was spent at Smith & Wollensky, New York City on 22 September 2021, and whether either of those events included any expenditure on alcoholic beverages.

The Smith and Wollensky expenditure relates to dinner for the Prime Minister and his delegation from No 10 visiting New York for the annual UN General Assembly. Dinner for 25 included alcohol (approximately 1 drink per person). The Bar Room expenditure relates to booking a dinner for the Press Lobby. The majority of this cost was recharged to the individual journalists at the end of the trip in the usual way. Expenditure was subject to normal FCDO controls and an appropriate use of public money.