§ Mr. Lofthouseasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the cost of the refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster since the general election of 1983, including carpets, furnishings and telephones, and the cost of such refurbishing between 1979 and 1983.
§ Mr. BiffenThe table below gives details of expenditure by the Property Services Agency on the Palace of Westminster and its outbuildings for the financial years 1979–80 to 1982–83 inclusive and for the period from 1 April 1983 to 30 September 1985. For the costs of the new telephone installations, all of which have been incurred in the current financial year, I refer the hon. Member to the written reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Bruinvels) on 26 June, column401.
435W
New works Maintenance and repairs (including stone restoration) Furnishing £ million £ million £ million 1979–80 to 1982–83 3.612 14.025 3.395 1 April 1983 to 30 September 1985 2.845 14.256 2.267 The increase in the expenditure on maintenance and repairs is attributable in part to the fact that the figures are in cash and in part to the fact that more has been spent on stone restoration in the period since 1 April 1983.