§ 26 and 27. Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Minister of Works (1) why the proposed expenditure on works services of £50,000 on Apartment 1A of Kensington Palace is set down in the Civil Estimates, Class VII, as a provisional estimate;
(2) how much public money is to be spent in 1961–62 on No. 1A Kensington Palace.
§ Lord John Hope£5,000 has been provided in the New Works subhead of the Royal Palaces Vote for 1961–62. The total estimate of £50,000 is set down as provisional in accordance with the normal procedure for projects in the early stages of planning.
§ Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Minister of Works if he will state the main items of maintenance and repair of Royal Palaces which account for the proposed increase in expenditure of £61,918 in 1961–62 compared with the estimates for 1960–61.
§ Lord John HopeThe main items are
£6,800 for additional costs of day to day cleaning, maintenance and repair of the structure and sanitary services and79W£7,500 for additional costs of operation, maintenance and repair of the engineering plant and services. Both these are primarily due to wage awards;£1,800 for recent increases in employers' National Insurance contributions;£10,000 for internal and external painting, of which£2,800 is for Buckingham Palace;£1,400 for Windsor Castle;£3,300 for St. James's Palace (State Rooms);£2,500 for Hampton Court Palace.The Increase is due to wage awards and the inclusion of arrears of redecoration, previously deferred through lack of funds.£36,000 for items of special maintenance and repair of the fabric and services, including £6,500 for repairs to eroded stonework at Buckingham Palace, £15,000 for restoration of stonework and partial renewal of lead roofs at Hampton Court Palace, and an additional £24,000 for repairs to the Longford River at Hampton Court Palace; all partly offset by reductions at Windsor Castle.