Sir Samuel Hoare stated at the beginning of the session
that " there has been no substantial rise in the cost of living, even in recent months." But the Home Secretary must have noticed that he now has to pay more for his cup of tea and more for his dinner in the House of Commons dining-room than he did in the summer. That chicken should cost los. 6d. or 'Is. per bird, and that a half-portion of grapefruit (rather desiccated) should cost 6d., was the subject of a question to the Chairman of the Kitchen Committee by Mrs. Tate. The overhead expenses of the Kitchen depart- ment cannot be exceptionally heavy—there are no rents and no rates, and all gas and electricity for cooking and refrigerating plants is supplied free. The Committee's defence is that expenses, especially wages, have to be spread over the whole year whether the House is in session or no. The rise in the cost of living in the House prompts another observation. The weight (and height) of the Opposition compared with that of the Government might provide an interesting com- parison, recalling the investigation of Sir John Orr on the relative height and weight of public and secondary schoolboys.
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