DEMOCRACY is thirsty work — the Commons recently consumed almost 800 pints of alcoholic drink for every day it sat.

From April to November, 41,845 litres of beer, wine and liquor was consumed in bars, dining rooms and at functions at the Commons. That eight months included only 93 sitting days because of the general election and Whitsun and summer breaks, giving an average per sitting day of 450 litres (792 pints). The 641 MPs who take their seats did not account for nearly 800 pints a day unaided — they are far outnumbered by their staff, police, journalists and visitors.

Indeed, consumption of alcohol at the Commons is falling, with earlier sitting hours giving MPs two evenings off a week, and the arrival of new generations of younger, more health-conscious MPs. Last year 78,485 litres of drink was served in bars, restaurants and at functions, compared with 82,037 litres in 2003-04. The figures, supplied by the House of Commons Commission, which is the corporate body responsible for running the Commons, were not available for previous years.

Details were supplied in response to parliamentary questions by Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, who said that he was taken aback by the answer. “It looks like MPs spent the year having a trial run of 24-hour drinking. I was surprised by the sheer volume. They have been doing their best to prop up the brewing industry.”

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