FOI 61-22: Food wastage generated by the Assembly canteen
Information Standards Freedom of Information Response
Our Ref: FOI 61-22
25 November 2022
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”)
I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 1 November 2022 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In your request, you asked:
“1. Of the food that is cooked each day, how much of this is then thrown out and put down as ‘wastage’?
To date in 2022, the production waste and plate waste collected centrally and resulting from the provision of catering services in Parliament Buildings is 2,409kg. This figure does not include waste collected from recycling bins in the various tea points within the building.
2. Is there a subsidy charge by the Northern Ireland Assembly for the food wastage that takes place in the canteen and members dining area?
There is no specific subsidy charge. All of the cost of food and drink (including alcohol) is borne by the contractor.
3. How much has been spent by the Northern Ireland Assembly since 1st March 2022 until now on the cost of ‘wastage’?
There is no specific cost of wastage attributed to the contract, all of the cost of food and drink (including alcohol) is borne by the contractor.
4. Where does the food wastage go at the end of each day?
Food waste and compostable waste is delivered to an anaerobic digestion plant in Lisburn for processing.
5. Does Stormont have any provisions in place for wastage to be delivered to those in need?
In line with our current Support Services contractor’s own Food Safety Management Policy (April 2022); the majority of dishes which are prepared onsite at Parliament Buildings are not suitable for transfer to other premises. Therefore, this prevents the Assembly Commission from being able to donate usable but unused food to charitable organisations.
6. Can meals and/or alcohol at the Stormont canteen / Members Dining Room be claimed on expenses?
Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are not able to claim for such expenses.
7. How much money has been spent by the Northern Ireland Assembly since 1st March 2022 to subsidise alcohol sales as part of the catering contract?”
There is no specific subsidy charge. All of the cost of food and drink (including alcohol) is borne by the contractor.
You have the right to request a formal review by the 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 may appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF which will undertake an independent review.
The Assembly Commission may publish details of your FOI request and its official response within the organisational disclosure log. The request will be completely anonymised and you will not be identified in any way. This is to meet the requirements as laid out by in the agreed publication scheme with the Information Commissioners’ Office.
Yours sincerely
INFORMATION STANDARDS