Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2022 to Question 389, how much public money was spent on subsidising food and drink in outlets on the parliamentary estate in 2021-22.

Parliament provides a range of catering services to Members, House staff, journalists and a large number of visitors. As a workplace this includes staff canteens that are available for people who work in Parliament. The services aren’t directly subsidised, but they unavoidably come at a cost due to the irregular hours that Parliament works. The service has a commitment to continuously seek to reduce costs where possible.

The net cost of catering for the latest available financial year, April 2021–March 2022, was £7.5m.