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<p>As recently outlined in the answer of 9 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, House
of Commons, Column 239W, my Department has cut its spending on catering and hospitality
from £553,230 in 2008-09 and £456,142 in 2009-10 to an estimated £36,000 in the year
2013-14 (the precise audited figure will be published in due course).</p><p>That answer
outlines the rationale for the current spending, and notes that we no longer routinely
incur any expenditure on refreshments for Ministers other than “de minimis” expenditure
on tea and coffee for Ministers' meetings with external visitors, or on the rare occasion
when Ministers undertake overnight stays on official business outside London.</p><p>In
relation to the breakdown of previous spending:</p><p>Spend on hospitality through
the Department's in-house Facilities Management Supplier was £457,667 in 2008-09 and
£337,621 in 2009-10.</p><p>In addition, I have placed in the Library of the House,
a table showing a list of individual transactions, through (a) Government Procurement
Cards and (b) other suppliers, based on electronic records held by the Department.</p><p>
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