Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who attended the Prime Minister’s gathering at the Prime Minister’s official residence at Chequers on the weekend of 16 July; and what was the cost to the public purse of that gathering.

As I outlined in my answer of 18 October 2021 to PQ 54006, Chequers is not a government building; it is run and managed by an independent trust. As has been the practice under successive Premiers, the incumbent Prime Minister uses Chequers consistent with the wishes of the donor, the late Sir Arthur Lee, who gave it to the nation for the use of the serving Prime Minister, for both official and private use. This is set out in the Chequers Estates Act 1917.

Details of official hospitality at Chequers are published on a quarterly basis and are available via the gov.uk website. I can confirm the Prime Minister’s gathering of 16 July was not an official event.

Personal or party political hospitality is not paid for by the public purse.