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The Assembly, whose wheels move slowly, still hasn't come back with an answer about the level of the Stormont food subsidy. But this morning the SDLP's Pat Ramsey (who sits on the Assembly commission, which manages the place) estimated the subsidy at half a million pounds a year. I shall keep you posted if the Secretariat's figures differ.

UPDATE: The Secretariat has released a statement which on one reading suggests the subsidy is actually higher than Pat Ramsey's estimate, running at £600,000 per annum. I am told it's not as simple as that. The canteen contractor returns some money to the assembly from the food sold, which would lower the overall level of subsidy. However I don't have a breakdown for that returned cash.

Anyway, for what it's worth, here's the Assembly statement:

An Assembly spokesperson said: "The Assembly Commission is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate level of service is provided for its Members, staff and the public who use its facilities and has entered into a range of contracts to ensure this. Specifically, the catering contract was awarded in 2007. Because of the nature of Assembly business and the requirement that services often be provided during unsocial sitting hours and for events, where the costs of providing such services exceeds the monies taken in, the extra cost is assumed by the Assembly. This is often referred to as a "subsidy", which does not have any impact on the price of food at any of the assembly's outlets as the catering contractor is responsible for price setting. Currently the catering contract costs, in real terms, are in the region of £600,000 per annum, with Contractor salaries making up two thirds of this cost. The Assembly Commission is currently looking at a range of measures to reduce costs with steps being taken to make efficiencies. The contract is continually under review to provide the best value for money."

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