Catering outlets at Parliament Buildings

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our Ref: FoI 06 -19

05th March 2019

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I can confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission holds information relevant to your request of 05 February 2019. In your request you asked for the following information:

"1. A monthly breakdown of the subsidy paid to catering outlets at Parliament Buildings from January 2018 to today (inclusive)

2. Please list the catering outlets covered by this subsidy. If possible, please also provide a breakdown per each individual catering outlet."

Please find the information relevant to your request at Appendix A. Please note, it is not possible to provide a breakdown per individual catering outlet due to the nature of the contract.

If you feel that the information we have provided does not meet your request fully, please contact this office as soon as possible. You have the right to request a formal review by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission and if you wish to do so, please write to me at the above address.

If after such an internal review you are still unhappy with the response, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF who will undertake an independent review.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above.

Yours sincerely
Information Standards and Data Protection Officer

Appendix A

The Assembly Commission requires that catering services are provided during business hours and for events / functions. Where the cost of providing these services exceeds the monies taken in, the extra operating cost is incurred by the Assembly Commission.

The catering outlets operating within Parliament Buildings from 1 January 2018¹ to 31 January 2019 are as follows:

• The Blue Flax Restaurant
• Members' Dining Room
• Members' Bar and Coffee Lounge
• Speaker's Corner

The monthly breakdown of the operating costs of the catering outlets at Parliament Buildings is detailed in the tables below:

1 January – 31 December 2018

1-31 January 2019

¹ Please note that an additional outlet, 'Café Recess' was not operational throughout the period requested.