Sunday, June 03, 2012

Queen Tried To Use State Poverty Fund To Heat Buckingham Palace


Queen tried to use state poverty fund to heat Buckingham Palace

Ministers were asked if money earmarked for schools, hospitals and low-income families could be used to meet soaring fuel bills

Robert Verkaik
24 September 2010




The Queen asked ministers for a poverty handout to help heat her palaces but was rebuffed because they feared it would be a public relations disaster, documents disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act reveal.

Royal aides were told that the £60m worth of energy-saving grants were aimed at families on low incomes and if the money was given to Buckingham Palace instead of housing associations or hospitals it could lead to "adverse publicity" for the Queen and the Government.

Aides complained to ministers in 2004 that the Queen's gas and electricity bills, which had increased by 50 per cent that year, stood at more than £1m a year and had become "untenable".

The Royal Household also complained that the £15m government grant to maintain the Queen's palaces was inadequate.




In search of more money-saving schemes, the Queen's deputy treasurer wrote to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to ask whether the Royal Household would be eligible for a grant to replace four combined heat and power (CHP) units at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

He asked: "Community Energy can fund up to 40 per cent of the capital costs of implementing a community heating scheme... Since we are already grant-in-aid funded [the Queen receives £15m a year for the upkeep of her palaces] we would like to know whether the Household [would] be able to benefit from these grants. I look forward to your comments."

Under this scheme administered by the Environment department, schools, hospitals, councils and housing associations have been awarded £60m for heating programmes which benefit people on low incomes.

Taxpayers already contribute £38m to pay for the Royal Family. Yet some of the buildings which would have benefited from the energy grant were occupied by minor royals living in grace and favour accommodation on the royal estates. Surprisingly the Government offered no resistance to the proposed application and cleared the way for the Queen to take advantage of the handout.

But by August 2004 the documents show that Whitehall officials had changed their minds and poured cold water on the whole idea. In an email sent to the Palace it was diplomatically explained that the funds were aimed at people on "low incomes".

The official wrote: "I think this is where the Community Energy Funding is directed and ties in with most allocations going to community heating schemes run by local authorities, housing associations, universities etc. I also feel a bit uneasy about the probable adverse press coverage if the Palace were given a grant at the expense of say a hospital. Sorry this doesn't sound more positive." More Independent

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you’re out enjoying a #Jubilee street party make sure your windows and doors are locked behind you

LeicestershirePolice‏@leicspolice

Anonymous said...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012
/jun/04/jubilee-pageant-unemployed?
CMP=twt_gu

Himself said...

Thank you, but one of three stories I bookmarked for publication last night.

I'm having my own little jubilee today, cooking a big pot of spag bol, so cook first and post later or vice versa, I don't yet, I have just fell out of bed.

Himself said...

Is an overdose of irony terminal?

File under . . . .

I think that might be worth a tweet to the troops, if that is not where it came from originally?

Anonymous said...

Some unexpected delays, next week then. Chuck

Himself said...

No probs Chuck.

I have found a couple of new blogs.

http://religionpoisons.wordpress.com/

I'll never be stuck for a quote again, check out his "About"

It was his "Why Jesus is a complete fairytale" that brought him to my attention.

But it was a link from one of the comments that I'm reading at the moment.

I don't think I have ever seen in one spot, so much arrogance, ignorance, insanity and hate.

Oh! did I mention delusional? The bloke will exorcise your demons for a thousand bucks.

I'm one his "Narcissism, Psychopathy and Anti-social Personality Disorder" page at the moment. And given the content of his blog, it's priceless.

Reminds me of someone else who writes at great length on all manner of subjects, be they Jesus, little girls knickers, or fisting fags; Bennett.

I tell you Chuck, there are some queer fuckers in this world, and not LGBT queer, queer certifiable.

There has to be a post in this lot somewhere.

Here's the link, do strap in.

http://eternian.wordpress.com/about/

Anonymous said...

OT

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/news/130110_Fabiola_tax_avoidance

The Francophone liberals too are highly critical of what the dowager queen is doing. They are also unhappy with the religious side of the matter. The queen's foundation can dole out cash to her nieces and nephews and their children, but only to those who married as Roman Catholics.

Himself said...

Stumbled across this tweet.

To all you Brits: Dont think The support of the Dutch PM for Cameron means anything, Rute is a worse liar than Cameron himself!

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon H

a worse liar

Politics?

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/11/david-cameron-eu-referendum_n_2453567.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

As a native Dutch speaker I will be at hand to give a translation from double-Dutch to just Dutch," the Lib Dem leader said.

Well, what can I say?

xxx


Anonymous said...

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/news/130112_Di_Rupo_stipend

Anonymous said...

Dowager Queen Fabiola apologises to people of Belgium.

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/news/130125_queen_fabiola

All Belgian political parties roundly condemned any attempt to avoid paying Belgian inheritance tax as the dowager queen should stand as an example.

The controversy sped up efforts to reform the allowance system of Belgium's royal household. Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo (Francophone socialist) announced a 30% reduction in the dowager queen's allowance. Cut by a half a billion euros Queen Fabiola will still have 922,000 euros (over 785,000 pounds sterling) at her disposal annually.

Anonymous said...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/long-cold-winter-for3-million-who-cant-pay-their-energy-bills-8907701.html

Himself said...

Same page.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/iv-drip/jeremy-clarkson-vs-piers-morgan-the-twitter-beef-you-always-wanted-to-see-8907394.html

Anonymous said...

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/iv-drip/jeremy-clarkson-vs-piers-morgan-the-twitter-beef-you-always-wanted-to-see-8907394.html

self-effacing column Piers Morgan whooshed.

ANDREW ELLIS
Why isn't Morgan in the dock with Coulson and Wade? He was up to his filthy neck in the hacking when at the mirror.

'A-list friends'

You couldn't make it up.

Back to reality m'dear. xxx