§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON (Dundee)asked the First Commissioner of Works, what was the actual date of the alleged agreement between the Treasury and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales with reference to the maintenance and repair of Marlborough House; was the agreement in writing; had it ever been submitted to the House of Commons; and, if so, on what occasion; and, would he lay upon the Table a copy of the agreement?
§ *MR. PLUNKETThere was no "agreement" between the Treasury and his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales as to the maintenance and repairs of Marlborough House, nor has any one, so far as I know, alleged the existence of any such agreement. I stated the other night that in 1878 Her Majesty's Government decided that in consideration of the large expenditure already incurred by His Royal Highness in improving the house, it should thenceforward be placed on the same footing as Clarence House, and that accordingly the cost of ordinary maintenance and repairs, external and internal, should be annually provided in the Estimates, the cost of fittings and furniture being borne by His Royal Highness. That decision of the Treasury was embodied in a Minute dated the 30th August, 1878, and if the hon. Member likes to move for it, there will be no objection to lay it on the Table. The result of that Minute was submitted to Parliament in the form of a Vote in the Estimates of the year 1879–80, and attention having been called to the item, it appeared to receive the unanimous approval of the Committee of Supply. The question was again raised in 1884, and the right hon. Member for Bradford (Mr. Shaw Lefevre), having given exactly the same explanation of all the circumstances as I gave the other night, the Vote was agreed to and has ever since been annually voted.