THE House of Lords Speaker has splashed almost £4,000 on flowers for her
office and £30,000 wining and dining dignitaries, it has been revealed.
Baroness D’Souza, who notoriously spent £230 to keep a chauffeur-driven car
idling for four hours while she enjoyed a ballet, was also revealed to have
blown £10k on ceremonial clothes over a five-year period.
According to figures from Lady D’Souza’s official House account, the Lord
Speaker spent £6k on hosting Russian diplomats at a five-star Kensington
hotel, £1k on a classical ensemble to serenade Aung San Suu Kyi when the
Burmese icon visited Parliament and preferred high-end catering firms to
inhouse grub.
The most notable of her official expenditures came in 2013 during the visit of
Valentina Matvienko, of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation,
according to the .
She took the seven-strong delegation and two Lords officials to the Royal
Opera House where the party splashed £890 on programmes, food, drinks and
“service charge”.
Lady D’Souza kept a chauffeur-driven car waiting outside the Covent Garden
venue for four hours.
The Russian diplomats were hosted at the Royal Garden Hotel during their stay,
landing the taxpayer a further £5,910 bill.
A Lords spokesman said: “The payments to the Royal Opera House and Royal
Garden Hotel relate to the visit of Valentina Matvienko, Chairperson of the
Council Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
“The Lord Speaker hosted the delegation as she had prioritised improving the
relationship between UK and the Russian Parliament in the context of the
general UK effort to improve UK/ Russia relations.”
Commenting on the £168 a month spent to decorate the Lord Speaker’s office
with flowers, he added: “The Lord Speaker regularly hosts visitors to the UK
in her office including foreign heads of state and other dignitaries.”
The figures also revealed she spent more than £2k on a communications firm to
help her promote her work.
Earlier this year The Sun revealed Lady D’Souza is having her portrait painted
with taxpayers footing the £12k bill.
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The spokesman said: “The Lord Speaker’s Office costs are seven per cent less
in real terms than in 2011/12.
“From 2010/11 to 2014/15, spending on official entertainment has been halved.
“This reflects a focus by the Lord Speaker’s office to reduce spending where
possible, including through seeking more cost effective providers.
“The Lord Speaker’s Office budget covers all aspects of support required for
the Lord Speaker to carry out her role including staff and associated costs
which make up the majority of the overall budget.
“These figures also cover the Lord Speaker’s uniform – a requirement of her
role – and hosting various functions including with foreign representatives,
Members of the House and other senior dignitaries.”