What should we do?

Wywth

House_of_Commons_Rep_(DOT) wrote: »

...Our aim is to promote public engagement, awareness, understanding and involvement in the House of Commons....

House_of_Commons_Rep_(DOT) wrote: »

...We hope to use our presence on MSE to inform you of House of Commons activity that is relevant to discussions on this forum - to do this we would like to know what the key issues are that are affecting you and that you would be interested in hearing more about. ...

Maybe more of a question to MSE, rather than the rep I am quoting, but what has any of this got to do with moneysaving? :huh:

moyesforever

Why is it necessary to have four bars at the politicians place of work which is subsidised to the tune of £180/week for each MP? Sample prices for each of the four bars would be interesting to see. For example could you give the cost of a pint, a whisky and glass of wine in each of the bars?

thunderella

moyesforever wrote: »

Why is it necessary to have four bars at the politicians place of work which is subsidised to the tune of £180/week for each MP? Sample prices for each of the four bars would be interesting to see. For example could you give the cost of a pint, a whisky and glass of wine in each of the bars?

£180 per week per MP?

Are you sure? I don't know what level of subsidy is provided, but what MP downs £180 worth of booze every week during their working time in the HOC?

UKParliament

moyesforever wrote: »

Why is it necessary to have four bars at the politicians place of work which is subsidised to the tune of £180/week for each MP? Sample prices for each of the four bars would be interesting to see. For example could you give the cost of a pint, a whisky and glass of wine in each of the bars?

Thank you for your comments. I would like to direct you to a recent Freedom of Information Request which answered the following questions:

Requests:

Prices charged to MPs for all alcoholic drinks in the bar(s) in the houses of parliament and the measures by which such alcoholic drinks are sold.

Current price list for food and drink available in the House of Commons to MPs.

Response:
The customers for the catering and retail services include around 13,000 pass-holders (Members of both Houses, their staff, House staff, civil servants, contractors’ staff, members of the Press Gallery etc.) as well as members of the public and non-passholding visitors to Parliament.

Food and drink menus and prices for the House of Commons Restaurants and Bars are below. The menus are on a six weeks’ rotation and change on a daily basis.

To see the menus please follow this link: House of Commons Restaurants and Bars

moyesforever

thunderella wrote: »

£180 per week per MP?

Are you sure? I don't know what level of subsidy is provided, but what MP downs £180 worth of booze every week during their working time in the HOC?

There is a net cost of £5.7 million to the taxpayers for running the bars. The £180/MP/week was based on a 52 week year not the ~30? weeks they sit (£300/MP/week).

kingofclare

House_of_Commons_Rep_(DOT) wrote: »

Thank you for your comments. I would like to direct you to a recent Freedom of Information Request which answered the following questions:



Requests:

• 
  Prices charged to MPs for all alcoholic drinks in the bar(s) in the houses of parliament and the measures by which such alcoholic drinks are sold.

• 
  Current price list for food and drink available in the House of Commons to MPs.

Response:
The customers for the catering and retail services include around 13,000 pass-holders (Members of both Houses, their staff, House staff, civil servants, contractors’ staff, members of the Press Gallery etc.) as well as members of the public and non-passholding visitors to Parliament.

Food and drink menus and prices for the House of Commons Restaurants and Bars are below. The menus are on a six weeks’ rotation and change on a daily basis.

To see the menus please follow this link: House of Commons Restaurants and Bars

Is this thread someone having a laugh?

Perhaps a direction to a recent FOI request will give me the answer, or rather the answer to something else!:rotfl:

moyesforever

House_of_Commons_Rep_(DOT) wrote: »

Thank you for your comments. I would like to direct you to a recent Freedom of Information Request which answered the following questions:

Requests:

• 
  Prices charged to MPs for all alcoholic drinks in the bar(s) in the houses of parliament and the measures by which such alcoholic drinks are sold.

• 
  Current price list for food and drink available in the House of Commons to MPs.

Response:
The customers for the catering and retail services include around 13,000 pass-holders (Members of both Houses, their staff, House staff, civil servants, contractors’ staff, members of the Press Gallery etc.) as well as members of the public and non-passholding visitors to Parliament.

Food and drink menus and prices for the House of Commons Restaurants and Bars are below. The menus are on a six weeks’ rotation and change on a daily basis.

To see the menus please follow this link: House of Commons Restaurants and Bars

A plate of soup is 0.85p in the two menus I randomly selected. Where else in the vicinity of the HOC can I get that?

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

martinthebandit wrote: »

So let me get this correct, the prices are in line with other establishments in the area but they still needed a subsidy of 5.7 million quid?


Are they run by bankers by any chance?

5 million is nothing but keeping you busy arguing over catering costs serves as a very good distraction from you questioning where most of the money is actually going.

InsideInsurance

martinthebandit wrote: »

So let me get this correct, the prices are in line with other establishments in the area but they still needed a subsidy of 5.7 million quid?

£5.7 subsidies are paid to all of the catering services etc

There are a number of outlets of which 4 could be considered "bars"

Those 4 bars pricing is kept in line with local bars.

There was no comment that the other non-bar services (eg food) is kept in line with local area.

eamon

I've just checked the menu pricing. Very reasonable and certainly subsidised.
Just a pity that I don't live or work in London!

A question for DOT as a taxpayer and hence contibuting towards the subsidy can I go and eat in any or indeed all of the restaurants should be visiting London?