Refreshments served at Committee Meetings

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our Ref: FoI 54-20

11 December 2020

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I can confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission holds information relevant to your request of 05 November 2020.  In your request you asked for the following information:

“For 2020 so far, please disclose the following:

1. The total cost of refreshments supplied at committee meetings.

2. Please provide a breakdown showing the amount spent on refreshments for each committee, e.g. refreshments spending for the justice committee, etc.

3. If possible within the constraints of FOI, please also give a list of the types of refreshments served (e.g. tea, mints, biscuits, etc) and the amount spent on each. Within this, please also disclose if bottled water was purchased and if so the brand used and cost.”

Please see the attached information at Appendix A below.

 

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

 

Appendix A

Questions 1 and 2:

Please find below the total cost of refreshments supplied at committee meetings, along with a breakdown of the amount spent by each Committee in 2020 to date (Friday 6 November 2020). Please note that some Committees have not purchased any refreshments to date in 2020.

 

Total cost of refreshments provided at Committee meetings in 2020 to date

CommitteeExpenditure

Business Committee

£159.60

Education

£530.34

Infrastructure

£718.57

Communities

£502.09

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

£380.43

Economy

£894.14

Health

£435.42

Justice

£671.58

Finance

£181.29

Procedures

£107.40

Public Accounts

£570.07

Audits / Standards and Privileges[1]

£263.08

Ad-hoc

£72.08

Total

£5,486.09

 

Question 3:

Please find below a list of the types of refreshments provided and the amount spent on each. With regard to bottled water, to date in 2020, one Committee was provided with bottles of River Rock water (see breakdown).

 

List of refreshments provided and amount spent per refreshment

Type of refreshmentExpenditure

Tea & coffee

 £2,855.44

Scones

 £495.26

Biscuits

 £323.62

Tray-bakes / shortbread

 £137.05

Tea / coffee and sandwiches

 £232.92

Tea / coffee and breakfast roll

 £3.38

Gourmet Sandwiches

 £63.54

Fruit platter

 £370.10

Fresh fruit

 £19.72

Irish stew

 £115.50

Food bowl lunch

 £345.79

Finger buffet

 £155.04

Chicken Salad

£11.13

3 Course Lunch

£302.72

Still water (River Rock)

£54.88

Total

£5,486.09

 



[1] Unfortunately it is not possible to provide individual expenditure for these two Committees as they are managed by the same team

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