The Foreign Office have answered the question that has been on everyone’s lips, and told us how much booze the Government has stashed in the cellars of Whitehall.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the estimated value is of central Government’s stock of alcoholic beverages; and how many bottles of (a) wine, (b) beer, (c) spirits and (d) other alcoholic beverages are held by the Government for entertainment and other purposes. [59039]
17 Mar 2006 : Column 2530W
Mr. Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for the administration of the Government Hospitality wine cellar. The cellar contains a mixture of fine and beverage wines, spirits, liqueurs and beers. The current estimated value is approximately �640,000, based on cost price. The cellar contains just under 35,000 bottles, of which fewer than 300 are spirits and liqueurs. Beer is not held in large quantities, and is bought on an ad hoc basis, depending on requirements.
Link to the answer here.
Over half a million, almost entirely in wine! And if that’s at cost price, it doesn’t take into account the bottles that have been sitting in there maturing and gaining value for years…
If anyone in the FCO can arrange a tour of this marvellous facility, Red Tamarin would be very interested to hear from them…
But whilst I wait for that invitiation, there’s the small matter of the free drink I promised in the original post
The best, most accurate answer was by William Norton. But he’s been disqualified because his answer came on the same day that the question was answered by Jack Straw, so he could have cheated.
The next best answer might be the one from anon, but since he/she didn’t leave a valid email address, no prize either.
So the prize of a free drink goes to…Emmazon, for the patriotic reference to Dandelion and Burdock.
Next time the Licensing Laws come up for debate, a clause should be inserted that makes stocking Dandelion and Burdock mandatory in every licensed establishment. In devolved terms, Scottish venues should be compelled to stock Irn Bru - though as far as I can tell most of them do already.
editor[at]recessmonkey.com
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And it would take more than that booze to be able to even ponder getting it on with Mrs. Villiers.
PBS2 said this on March 22nd, 2006 at 6:42 am
Where the hell is it all? Underneath the FCO building in Whitehall? In a Big Yellow Storage somewhere?
There’s that rumour that the MOD building has more floors underground that it has overground… maybe it’s all wine…
Rob F said this on March 22nd, 2006 at 8:55 am
I believe, not with any real facts to back it up, that you can get from No.10 Downing Street all the way into Parliament without ever having to encounter a member of the public. I’ve been told (I forget by who) that you *can* get from No.10 into the Foreign Office, and then underground from the Foreign Office into the MoD, then MoD through DoH and DWP on to the Parliamentary Estate through the Norman Shaw buildings, Portcullis House and then the Palace of Westminster itself.
Anyway, with that rumour firmly established, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was plenty of underground space below the FCO to accomodate a few thousand bottles of wine
Red Tamarin said this on March 22nd, 2006 at 11:43 am
Suppose it’s lucky that a Kennedy-led Lib Dems never got in to Government…
PBS2 said this on March 23rd, 2006 at 12:08 am
Didn’t the French have something to say about our wine, in more ‘cordiale’ times?
Steve said this on March 23rd, 2006 at 7:45 am
Yay! I win…
Will claim my prize next time I’m bored in yet another meeting where the minister ignores us on the energy review!
Emmazon said this on March 23rd, 2006 at 12:09 pm