Hospitality is intended to cover occasions where there is a need to provide hospitality for others. Hospitality may therefore be provided if it is in the public interest only and necessary for the conduct of departmental business to do so. As a general rule, expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes is not allowed. The core-Department’s catering services provider does not hold a licence to serve alcohol. Were alcohol to be purchased for hospitality purposes it should be acquired through formal purchase order, or through the Government Procurement Card, both of which methods are subject to formal authorisation procedures.