Shailesh Vara corrected a written answer on Catering
Jonathan Ashworth (Labour, Leicester South) asked written question 216190 on 26 November 2014. Mr Shailesh Vara answered on 10 February 2015 for the Ministry of Justice, and Mr Shailesh Vara corrected the answer on 10 February 2015. The corrected text adds the figures 0.00, 1,005.41, 1,258.19, 1,312.56, 1,787.92, 1,824.58, which the original did not give. Altogether 488 words differ between the two versions.
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department has spent on catering and hospitality since May 2010.
Original and corrected answer
Struck through: original only. Bold: correction only.
| Original | Corrected |
|---|---|
| In answering this question I have included core MoJ and its larger Executive Agencies (NOMS, HMCTS, LAA) in the figures in the table below. The smaller Executive Agencies (Office of the Public Guardian, Criminal Injuries Compensations Authority) have not been included. The figures show a drop of spending of £426,844.38 (92.98%) between 2008/09 and the 2013/14 figure, the last full year figure included. Since 2010, spend on hospitality has fallen significantly. Reasons for this include measures taken to ban lunches, teas and coffees for internal meetings. Any such refreshments for meetings with external stakeholders are only provided in exceptional circumstances and require sign off from a Director General. No alcohol is provided for staff from departmental funds and when hospitality is provided to external parties, such as a modest amount of wine with a meal, this requires Director General level approval. The department has also put in place a block on Government Procurement Cards, preventing payments to bars and restaurants. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | In answering this question I have included core MoJ and its larger Executive Agencies (NOMS, HMCTS, LAA) in the figures in the table below. The smaller Executive Agencies (Office of the Public Guardian, Criminal Injuries Compensations Authority) have not been included. The figures show a drop of spending of £426,844.38 (92.98%) between 2008/09 and the 2013/14 figure, the last full year figure included. Since 2010, spend on hospitality has fallen significantly. Reasons for this include measures taken to ban lunches, teas and coffees for internal meetings. Any such refreshments for meetings with external stakeholders are only provided in exceptional circumstances and require sign off from a Director General. No alcohol is provided for staff from departmental funds and when hospitality is provided to external parties, such as a modest amount of wine with a meal, this requires Director General level approval. The department has also put in place a block on Government Procurement Cards, preventing payments to bars and restaurants. MoJ core and Agency spend on Hospitality and related catering since April 2008: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | MoJ HQ | Nac Level 6 | FY08/09 | FY09/10 | FY10/11 | FY11/12 | FY12/13 | FY13/14 | FY14/15 to end Oct-14 | 224226-Entertainment | 3,773.76 | 0.00 | 585.29 | 327.90 | 326.40 | 60.00 | 252.52 | 224227-Hospitality | 18,572.77 | 18,755.64 | 6,584.20 | 3,095.97 | 2,893.31 | 1,312.56 | 745.45 | 224228-External Lunches & Dinners | 4,262.15 | 3,909.39 | 883.27 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 224229-Refreshments for Interdepartmental Meetings | 96,946.33 | 28,699.71 | 3,096.00 | 247.68 | 0.00 | 2,027.22 | -1,824.58 | Annual Total | 123,555.01 | 51,364.74 | 11,148.76 | 3,671.55 | 3,219.71 | 3,399.78 | -826.61 | | | | | | | | HMCTS | Nac Level 6 | FY08/09 | FY09/10 | FY10/11 | FY11/12 | FY12/13 | FY13/14 | FY14/15 to end Oct-14 | 224226-Entertainment | 1,787.92 | 740.61 | 256.01 | 253.54 | 58.58 | 0.00 | 60.25 | 224227-Hospitality | 53,202.18 | -1,005.41 | 5,452.08 | 10,620.32 | 6,952.39 | 7,659.08 | 2,797.57 | 224228-External Lunches & Dinners | 332.15 | 90.00 | -42.55 | 156.00 | 2,544.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 224229-Refreshments for Interdepartmental Meetings | 42,138.13 | 33,973.89 | 28,070.48 | 3,660.04 | 2,597.02 | 312.96 | 120.00 | Annual Total | 97,460.38 | 33,799.09 | 33,736.02 | 14,689.90 | 12,151.99 | 7,972.04 | 2,977.82 | | | | | | | | LAA | Nac Level 6 | FY08/09 | FY09/10 | FY10/11 | FY11/12 | FY12/13 | FY13/14 | FY14/15 to end Oct-14 | 224227-Hospitality | | | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1,258.19 | 0.00 | Annual Total | | | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1,258.19 | 0.00 | | | | | | | | NOMS: | Nac Level 6 (Phoenix) | FY08/09 | FY09/10 | FY10/11 | FY11/12 | FY12/13 | FY13/14 | FY14/15 to end Oct-14 | 1720 - Entertainment & Hospitality | 238,039.00 | 215,230.00 | 76,947.00 | 59,420.00 | 35,800.00 | 19,580.00 | 10,114.00 | Annual Total | 238,039.00 | 215,230.00 | 76,947.00 | 59,420.00 | 35,800.00 | 19,580.00 | 10,114.00 | | | | | | | | MoJ Total | | 459,054.39 | 300,393.83 | 121,831.78 | 77,781.45 | 51,171.70 | 32,210.01 | 12,265.21 |
The question and answer on the Parliament website.
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Receipt
| Read from | https://questions-statements-api.parliament.uk/api/writtenquestions/questions/166406?expandMember=true |
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| Date read | 15 October 2026 |
| SHA-256 | 049f412dd30054c1d79a62e296d010cef5f25b595db7efd866cae123a3cd95a4 |