asked the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the future of catering facilities in the House.
The Refreshment Department of the House has been incurring a trading loss over a long period. In view of the present serious financial position the Government have decided, after consultation through the usual channels and with the Services Committee, to set up a small committee of inquiry to examine the affairs of the Department and to make recommendations for its future financing and control. It is intended that this committee should be a Government committee composed of Members of the House with the addition of outside members with relevant expert knowledge.My hon. Friend the Member for Bethnal Green and Bow (Mr. Mikardo), has agreed to chair the committee. Other members will include my hon. Friends the Members for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Cant) and Bury and Radcliffe (Mr. White), the hon. Members for Sudbury and Woodbridge (Mr. Stainton), and for Maldon (Mr. Wakeham), Mr. J. I. Andrw of Cooper & Lybrand Associates Ltd., Mr. Ivan Joseph, formerly of Gardner Merchant Food Service, Mr. H. Kidd, of St. John's College, Oxford, and Mr. D. Sawyer, Managing Director of Rank Hotels Ltd.The terms of reference of the committee are:
"To consider urgently the present system of financial and operational control over the Refreshment Department of the House, and to make recommendations with a view to achieving its financial viability."
The committee will report to me, as Leader of the House, and no action will be taken on its recommendations until the House has had an opportunity to consider them.