HC Deb 19 February 1986 vol 92 cc214-5W
Mr. Willie W. Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the £69,490,000 provided for in class VIII, 4 of the Supply Estimates 1985–86 is to be spent specifically on royal palaces; and what was the comparable figure for each of the last five years.

Expenditure on Royal Palaces
1985–86 1984–85 1983–84 1982–83 1981–82 1980–81
Class VIII Vote 4* £ 1,306,000 8,727,000 8,231,000 7,831,000 6,715,000 5,501,000
Class XIV Vote 1 £ *8.048,000

*Provisional

Mr. Willie W. Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a breakdown of the figure of £280,000 capital expenditure on royal palace furniture, and so on in 1985–86 as shown in Supply Estimates 1985–86 class VIII, 4 subhead detail.

Sir George Young

This sum was intended to include some expenditure on a new telephone exchange at Buckingham palace and the cost of furnishings and so on of the official residences of the royal household. The estimate has been revised downwards to £180,000 in the spring Supplementaries to take account of slippage in the programme for the provision of the new exchange.