British members of parliament
continue to knock back the booze even as the government tries to
convince the country to cut down its alcohol consumption, the
Times reported Thursday.
The House of Commons alone spent 1.4 million pounds (1.7
million euros) in 2012 and 2013 supplying its several bars with
alcoholic beverages for MPs and their assistants and guests, the
newspaper said.
House of Commons Sauvignon alone accounted for nearly
50,000 bottles purchased, followed by House of Commons Merlot
with over 26,000.
For beer, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Becks and Guinness proved
to be the most popular labels supplied over the course of the
two years.
Parliamentary authorities said the prices charged to MPs
and Peers for their drinks were the same as in an ordinary pub,
even though the in-house restaurant and bar services are
subsidised to the tune of 5 million pounds (6.1 million euros) a
year.
The figures, revealed in a Freedom of Information request
by the Times, could raise further questions about the alleged
drinking culture at Westminster after former Labour whip Eric
Joyce was forced to resign in 2012 after fighting Conservative
MPs in a Commons bar.
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