Stormont’s £1 million catering bill – Including £700,000 when it wasn’t sitting

Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:

“Through an Assembly question, I have discovered that just shy of a million pounds has been spent on subsidising Stormont’s restaurant, cafe and MLA dining room over the last five years. When one considers that over £700,000 of this money was spent when Stormont wasn’t even sitting the cost to the public purse is clearly indefensible.

“I suspect that one of the major issues when it comes to this expense is that Stormont failed to negotiate a get-out clause which meant that money was spent during the period when the Assembly was down which could and should have been avoided. Given that mandatory coalition is by its very nature unstable and given to imploding this should have been foreseen and taxpayer money saved.

“It is worth pointing out of course that all building users, including journalists, can and do avail of the subsidised food in Stormont but it is important that the Assembly is seen to be prudent in how it uses public money and I am not sure that ordinary members of the public will be convinced that their money is being put to good use when they look at these figures.”

Note to editors

Mr Allister’s question and the response received are online here.