The executive chefs of the House of Lords and House of Commons are due to be questioned by Scotland Yard again next month over allegations of corruption and kickbacks.
As Caterer reported three months ago (26 August, page 6), the two were arrested in August over allegations that they had taken "bungs" from food suppliers in return for multimillion-pound catering contracts.
They were released on bail for further questioning in September, but that was postponed to 17 December, when they will be charged, released or bailed again.
Both David Dorricott, executive chef at the House of Commons, and his counterpart at the House of Lords, Mark Thatcher, have been suspended from their jobs while the investigation continues.
Their places have been filled temporarily by their head chefs - Laurence Colmer in the Commons and Michael Stevenson in the Lords.
Labour MP Dennis Turner, who chairs the House of Commons select committee on catering, said the suspensions were a "natural reaction" to the police investigation and did not imply any judgements.
The chefs would be regarded as innocent until proved guilty, he added.
The investigation is part of a major clampdown by the Inland Revenue on illicit payments in the kitchen.
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 25 November 2004