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The House Of Lords Is Opening A Pop-Up Restaurant During The Election Campaign

Officials told BuzzFeed News they hope to raise some much-needed cash to lessen the burden on taxpayers.

The House of Lords' private restaurant is being opened to members of the public while politicians are away.

The move is aimed at raising cash for parliament during the quiet pre-election period.

A three-course lunch menu in the grand Peers' Dining Room, right in the heart of the Palace of Westminster, will cost £35 a head.

The restaurant, usually reserved for peers and their guests, will open to the public on 14 April and close on 8 May – the day after the general election.

Meanwhile, in the House of Commons, the Members' Dining Room will also open its doors to the public following a trial in November. Three-course meals will cost the same but it will only be open on 8, 9, 28, and 29 April.

Here are some of the dishes on offer in the Lords.

House of Lords officials hope the pop-up restaurant will raise much-needed funds.

Opening the Peers' Dining Room up to the public was recommended by the Lords refreshment committee in February. The restaurant lost a staggering £886,996 in 2013-14, relying on taxpayers' money to keep it going.

A Lords spokesperson told BuzzFeed News: "The hope is it will generate revenue. It's a trial run for the next four weeks.

"There's a recognition from the refreshment committee which had put forward this proposal that we've got these facilities not being used by members, so we'll try and see if we can bring in some revenue by giving the public access. If we raise the revenue, that will keep the subsidy down."

If there is enough take-up, the Peers' Dining Room could be opened up to the public again in future summer recesses.