Petition · past parliament
End food subsidies for MPs
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
End the subsidy of MP meals during working hours; they should pay for food like most of the working population.
MPs should pay for their own food during working hours, this should not be subsidised by taxpayers.
MP salaries greatly exceed the income of the majority of the population; we should not pay for their food. There are very few working people whose meals are subsidised by employers; the vast majority of people pay for their own meals in working hours.
If the country can’t afford to feed the children of poor families during a pandemic, then we can’t afford to feed you either.
MP salaries greatly exceed the income of the majority of the population; we should not pay for their food. There are very few working people whose meals are subsidised by employers; the vast majority of people pay for their own meals in working hours.
If the country can’t afford to feed the children of poor families during a pandemic, then we can’t afford to feed you either.
Why it was rejected
It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.
Catering services for the House of Commons are provided by an in-house team who do not provide a subsidised service, though the cost of running the service means that it runs at a loss. It is important to note that while in some venues the cost of providing the service exceeds the income received in sales, other venues in the Commons make a profit which contributes to reducing overall costs. The House of Commons publishes details of the cost of House of Commons catering services: https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/transparency-publications/hoc-transparency-publications/catering-services/transparency-reporting-catering-services/
Customers of the House of Commons Catering Services include some of the 650 MPs but also around 14,500 other pass-holders, many of whom are staff on lower wages that work irregular hours. In addition, members of the public and non pass holding visitors to Parliament also have access to these services. The irregular hours and the unpredictability of Parliamentary business contribute to increasing the net cost of providing a catering service. To offset this many of the restaurants, dining room facilities and their staff, are used to cater for private events at times when they are not required by the House. This is one of a number of measures used to reduce
costs.
The UK Government and Parliament aren't responsible for setting MPs' pay. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) is responsible for deciding on MPs' expenses and pay. IPSA is independent of both Parliament and Government.
You can find out more about IPSA here: https://www.theipsa.org.uk/about-us/
We have published the following petition, which you might like to sign:
Increase food and drink prices for MPs in House of Commons catering venues: Increase food and drink prices for MPs in House of Commons catering venues
Customers of the House of Commons Catering Services include some of the 650 MPs but also around 14,500 other pass-holders, many of whom are staff on lower wages that work irregular hours. In addition, members of the public and non pass holding visitors to Parliament also have access to these services. The irregular hours and the unpredictability of Parliamentary business contribute to increasing the net cost of providing a catering service. To offset this many of the restaurants, dining room facilities and their staff, are used to cater for private events at times when they are not required by the House. This is one of a number of measures used to reduce
costs.
The UK Government and Parliament aren't responsible for setting MPs' pay. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) is responsible for deciding on MPs' expenses and pay. IPSA is independent of both Parliament and Government.
You can find out more about IPSA here: https://www.theipsa.org.uk/about-us/
We have published the following petition, which you might like to sign:
Increase food and drink prices for MPs in House of Commons catering venues: Increase food and drink prices for MPs in House of Commons catering venues
Timeline
| 22 Oct 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 30 Oct 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
30 Oct 2020
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.