Come clean on cost of Cabinet junket – MP
Gordon Brown should come clean on the cost of moving Cabinet outside London for the first time since 1921, according to Liberal Democrat MP, Dan Rogerson.
MPs from across the House of Commons have been asking Parliamentary Questions on the security and administrative costs of holding Cabinet to Birmingham for one meeting on 8thSeptember 2008. The Prime Minister has so far failed to disclose the information.
Mr Rogerson says the replies have “pushed parliamentarians from pillar to post like the unfortunate clients of an incompetent call centre.”
In a letter to the Prime Minister on Monday, the North Cornwall MP says “The public will doubtless question the merit of moving the substantial security and administration arrangements associated with Cabinet to another city, in order to hold a private meeting. Surely interested MPs, and members of the public have the right to know both the purpose and the costs of this exercise without further delay.”
Commenting, Mr Rogerson said:
“There is no explanation for the delay in publishing these costs.
“Taxpayers have footed the bill for a junket to Birmingham which appeared to serve little purpose beyond the press coverage the meeting attracted.
“The Prime Minister came to power promising a new settlement between the Executive and Parliament, yet he cannot even bring himself to disclose basic information to MPs about the cost of his media initiatives.
“Mr Brown tells me that MPs will be informed of the costs in the ‘usual’ way. Since Cabinet has not met outside London for some ninety years, it’s difficult to know what the usual way of disclosing the costs might be.”
