Memorandum by the Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association (United Kingdom Branch)
Thank you very much for inviting the CPA UK
Branch to comment on House of Commons catering arrangements.
There are seven of us, not House servants but
employed by the CPA UK Branch. Situated as we are in Westminster
Hall, we sorely miss the Westminster Hall Cafeteria, which we
used to frequent a good deal. We now generally lunch in the Terrace
Cafeteria, with occasional expeditions to the Debate and Bellamy's.
All of these are over-crowded between one and two o'clock, so
most of us either buy food to take away before one, or sit down
for lunch about two.
While recognising that Members must always have
priority, we think it a pity that half of the Terrace Cafeteria
is reserved for Members most of the time, although it is rarely
even nearly full.
It has long been the custom that my two senior
people and I have access to the Churchill Room, and we greatly
appreciate this privilege. We also, so my predecessor told me,
have access by long custom to the Members' Dining Room, although
to avoid any possibility of criticism we rarely use it. I hope
very much that my senior staff members and I may be granted access
to the Adjournment for those occasions on which we need to entertain
guests more modestly than in the Churchill Room, but still nicely.
We are prepared to give up access to the Members' Dining Room
in exchange.
Andrew Pearson
Secretary
18 March 2002
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