To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Christmas functions (a) he, (b) officials from his Department and (c) officials from its executive agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2007-08; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement. (226954)

The Department does not hold a central record of Christmas functions, nor does its core financial system record a category for Christmas functions expenditure.