HC Deb 31 October 1995 vol 265 cc184-5W
Mr. Alan Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much of the expenditure on the occupied royal palaces in each year since 1986 has been in respect of(a) the exceptional work started in 1987–88 and (b) the Windsor fire. [38858]

Mr. Sproat

The costs of the exceptional work associated with the rewiring of Windsor castle are:

£ million
1986–87 to 1990–91 13.87
1991–92 4.29
1992–93 6.41
1993–94 3.18
1994–95 0.46

Figures for each year between 1986–87 and 1990–91 are not available.

Since the Windsor castle fire in November 1992, the following amount has been spent from grant in aid on restoration work:

£ million
1992–93 1.16
1993–94 1.86
1994–95 2.69

Mr. Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was expenditure on the occupied royal palaces in 1994–95 and in 1984–85; and what principal elements of cost account for the difference. [38859]

Mr. Sproat

Expenditure on the occupied royal palaces as shown in the 1990 report of the Royal Trustees was £11.2 million—equivalent to £18.3 million at 1994–95 prices. In 1994–95 it was £20.5 million. Grant in aid in 1994–95 included £2.7 million for exceptional costs associated with the restoration of Windsor castle, £2 million for the installation of automatic fire detection equipment in the occupied palaces, and £2.1 million for items such as rates and VAT which were not included in the 1984–85 allocation.