House of Commons to get Indian taste

Britain’s House of Commons will soon have an authentic Indian restaurant to satisfy curry fans including Chancellor Gordon Brown, leade...

Britain’s House of Commons will soon have an authentic Indian restaurant to satisfy curry fans including Chancellor Gordon Brown, leader of the House Robin Cook and Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short.

Until now legislators in search of curry have had to risk the wrath of their whips by leaving the House of Commons for Indian restaurants around Westminster, worried that they may miss a vital vote, the Telegraph said today. With a curry house on the premises, they will be able to hear the division bell over the daal and chicken tikka, the report said.

The Commons catering committee has decided to turn an underused Westminster cafeteria into an Indian restaurant. The committee has discovered that two chefs on the commons staff specialise in Indian foods, so they will not have to privatise the restaurant to enjoy the authentic flavour of the subcontinent.

‘‘The Chancellor does like a curry, and so does Clare, and Cook, but I don’t think John Prescott (Deputy PM) is that keen — he prefers a Chinese,’’ said Dennis Turner, the Labour Chairman of the committee. ‘‘I actually prefer more traditional food but there was a lot of demand for curries.’’ ‘‘It’s fantastic idea provided it is authentic curry. I don’t want a tame English version,’’ David Hinchliffe, the labour chairman of the Commons Health Select Committee said.

Turner said the MPs would hold a competition to choose a name for the curry house.