Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 21 November (HCWS1098) in relation to the annual financial report for the Government’s hospitality wine cellar, what saving they estimate might be made by substituting English and Welsh wines with comparable wines from elsewhere.

​The Government Hospitality wine cellar supplies wines and spirits for official business hospitality offered by Government Ministers to a range of domestic and international guests. The cellar has a clear objective of being able to supply the highest quality wines from around the world at the best prices, by purchasing wines young and relatively inexpensive and keeping them until they are ready to drink. The cellar has been a supporter of the UK wine industry for over 25 years and stocks a range of English and Welsh still and sparkling wines. However, some UK wines can cost more than some imported wines, and Government Hospitality must always strike a careful balance between the proper expenditure of taxpayers' money and the desire to promote UK produce. The stocking of the cellar is carefully managed to achieve the best value for money.