Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on food and clothing for civilian staff at its main building in each month since January 2021.

Civilian and military staff work in an integrated manner and across a large number of different areas within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Main Building. Therefore, this information is not held centrally. Civilian staff are unable to claim for clothing allowance except in specific circumstances, notably if uniform is required, for example guards or MOD police. There are also limited options to claim for clothing costs incurred if they are required to attend a location that requires a specific dress or climatic clothing that would not usually be owned for the climate in the UK. Nor are civilian staff able to claim for food at Main Building. However, the Department may provide food to civilian staff as part of an official function or to enable work outside of regular hours, for example in support of operations.