Catering Services in the House of Commons

Written evidence submitted by Glenn Hackney, Parliamentary Clerk, Department for Transport

The Department for Transport comprises a central department and seven executive agencies:

This response covers both the central department and our seven agencies.

Within the Department for Transport, on-site catering services are only available at the Department's main HQ in London, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sites in Swansea and the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) residential training facility in Bedfordshire.

Department for Transport HQ

• DfT HQ has an on-site catering facility situated in Great Minster House. The service is operated on a commercial no direct subsidy basis.

• The service is provided by Style, a sub-contractor of the DfT HQ Total Facilities Management provider, Amey.

• Style provide a hospitality and restaurant service. The restaurant provides a hot and cold breakfast and lunch café service with a coffee and snack service throughout the day. Style does not provide a table restaurant or banqueting service but if such a need was identified then the contract allows them to provide this.

DVLA

• DVLA has on site catering venues at its Morriston HQ, The Swansea Vale Contact Centre and a small cafe at its Richard Ley Development Centre. The service is operated on a commercial no direct subsidy basis.

• The services are provided by Avenance which is a sub-contractor of the DVLA PFI provider Telereal Trillium.

• Avenance provide a hospitality and restaurant service. The restaurant provides a hot and cold breakfast and lunch café service with a coffee and snack service throughout the day. Avenance does not provide a banqueting service but if such a need was identified then the contract allows them to provide this.

DSA

• DSA has an on site catering facility at its Training & Development Centre in Cardington, Bedfordshire. The service is operated on a commercial non-subsidy basis

• The service is provided by Sodexo - soft facilities provider for Cardington and DSA Nottingham HQ building.

• Sodexo provide a hospitality and restaurant service for the staff and trainees attending the Training Centre, including a 40 bedroom hotel for trainees and DSA staff. The restaurant provides a full English and continental breakfast, hot or cold lunch including healthy and vegetarian option, and a full 3 course evening meal. They also provide tea/coffee vending and sale of light refreshments and confectionary.

September 2010