Select Committee on Public Accounts Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence



APPENDIX 5


COPY OF A LETTER AND SUPPLEMENTARY MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY HM TREASURY (PAC 2000-2001/88)

  I am sorry for the delay in providing the notes requested by the Committee at the hearing on 18 December on maintaining the Royal Palaces.

  I was asked for details of accommodation occupied by officials in the Royal Household who are funded by the Civil List and for information about the receipts from visitors to Buckingham Palace.

  I attach details, as supplied to me by the Royal Household, of officials provided with residential accommodation. The full set of job descriptions is still being collated and will follow in a few days[1].

  On the question of the receipts from visitors to Buckingham Palace, the most helpful way for me to answer the points raised by Mr Gardiner is, I think, to draw the Committee's attention to the two statements attached. The first was provided by the Department of National Heritage to the Committee following its hearing on 23 March 1994 and published with the Committee's report. It sets out the arrangements for collection of the income by Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd, the reason why that is proper, arrangements at the time for the use of the receipts and the agreement of DNH and the Treasury.

  The second statement is a written answer in the House of Commons on 3 July 1996 by the then Secretary of State for National Heritage. It reported the Queen's decision to extend the opening of Buckingham Palace beyond 1998, with the revenue accruing to the Trust. It also recorded that the trust would use the income for the benefit of the collection while making a contribution towards the maintenance of the areas of Buckingham Palace open to the public, thereby helping to offset the cost to the taxpayer.

  I hope that these two statements satisfactorily resolve the questions that Mr Gardiner was asking.

Brian Glickson

Treasury Officer of Accounts

6 March 2001

Private Secretaries and Officials in the Queen's Household provided with Residential Accommodation
Accommodated
Part-time
1995
2001
1 Private Secretary
yes
2 Keeper of the Privy Purse
yes
yes
3 Master of the Household
yes
4 Comptroller, LCO
yes
yes
5 Crown Enquerry
yes
yes
6 Director of the Royal Collection
yes
yes
7 Mistress of the Robes
yes
yes
yes
8 Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps
yes
yes
9 Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle
yes
yes
10 Deputy Private Secretary
yes
11 Deputy Treasurer to The Queen
yes
yes
12 Deputy Master of the Household
yes
yes
13 Secretary, Central Chancery
yes
14 Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures
yes
yes
15 Royal Librarian
yes
yes
16 Deputy Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art
yes
17 Assistant Press Secretary
yes
18 Special Assistant to the Private Secretary
yes
19 Equerry in Waiting to The Queen
yes
yes
20 Sub-Dean Chapel Royal
yes
yes
21 Chief Accountant & Paymaster
yes
22 Superintendent, Royal Mews
yes
yes
23 Superintendent, Windsor Castle
yes
yes
24 Management Auditor
yes
25 Secretary, LCO
yes
yes
26 Assistant Secretary, LCO
yes
27 Chief Clerk, Private Secretary's Office
yes
28 Chief Clerk, Master of the Household's Dept
yes
yes
29 Secretary to the Private Secretary (now Chief Correspondence
Clerk)
yes
yes


30
Chief Clerk, Royal Mews (now Deputy Superintendent, Royal
Mews)
yes
yes
31 Insignia Clerk, Central Chancery
yes
32 Administrator, Royal Collection
yes
yes
33 Superintendent of St James's Palace State Apartments
yes
yes
34 Deputy Chief Clerk, Royal Mews
yes
yes
35 Assistant Curator, Royal Library
yes
yes
36 Arhivist, Royal Archives
yes
yes
37 Deputy Registrar, Royal Archives
yes
yes
38 Assistant Registrar, Royal Arhives
yes
yes
39 Secretary to the Assistant to the Master of the Household G Branch (now Secretary to the Communication Secretary)
yes
yes
40 Exhibitions and Maintenance Conservator, Royal Library
yes
yes
41 Head Bookbinder, Royal Library
yes
42 Deputy Bookbinder
43 Armorer, Royal Collection
yes
yes
44 Reprographic Operator
yes
45 Messanger of the Yeoman of the Guard
yes
yes
46 Serjeant of the Vestry, Chapel Royal
yes
yes

Private Secretaries and Officials in Other Royal Households provided with residential accommodation
47 Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
yes
yes
48 Equerry to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
yes
49 Private Secretary to The Duke of Edinburgh
yes
yes
50 Chief Clerk in The Duke of Edinburgh's Office
yes
51 Private Secretary to The Prince of Wales
yes
yes
52 Private Secretary to The Duke of York
yes
yes
53 Private Secretary to The Duke of York
yes
54 Private Secretary to The Princess Margaret
yes
55 Chief Clerk in The Princess Margaret's Office
yes
56 Private Secretary to The Duke of Gloucester
yes
yes

Additions
Assistant Private Secretary to The Queen
yes
Registrar, Royal Archives
yes
Equerry in Waiting to The Duke of Edinburgh
yes
55
39
1

  For 30 of the employees listed above, while housing on the estate facilities the better performance of duties, it is primarily because properties within the security cordons would otherwise be unoccupied with no rental income to offset the amount of the Grant-in-aid. This was referred to in paragraph 63 on page xviii of the Committee of Public Accounts report of 1 December 1997. As stated previously, accommodation will not be provided to these 30 positions on change of post-holder if appropriate use can be found for the apartments.

  The annex to the National Audit Office's report on Property Services in the English Occupied Royal Palaces of April 1995 note the following 11 Private Secretaries and Officials for whom the provision of accommodation was considered essential.

    —  Private Secretary (accommodated but not in a house maintained by Grant-in-aid)

    —  Crown Equerry

    —  Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps

    —  Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle

    —  Special Assistant to the Private Secretary (not housed as no longer a Commonwealth secondee)

    —  Equerry in Waiting to The Queen

    —  Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal

    —  Superintendent, Royal Mews

    —  Superintendent, Windsor Castle

    —  Superintendent of the St James's Palace State Apartments

    —  Serjeant of the Vestry, the Chapel Royal

  The reasons why nine of the 11 need to be accommodated are as follows.

Crown Equerry

  The 30 carriage horses stabled at the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace are a primary part of the Crown Equerry's responsibilities. Work starts early and problems may occur at any time including weekends. It is traditional for those in charge of horses to live on the premises.

Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps

  The Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps is responsible for liaison with Ambassadors and High Commissioners in London and entertaining is an important part of his duties. An apartment is provided for this purpose.

Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle

The Governor represents The Queen at Windsor and is expected to undertake entertaining on Her Majesty's behalf. An apartment is provided for this purpose and in lieu of a full salary.

Equerry in Waiting to The Queen

  This position is a three year posting filled by a seconded member of the armed services with early and late duties.

Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal

  It is traditional for clergy to be housed near to the church or chapel for which they are responsible.

Superintendent, Royal Mews

  The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is home to approximately 50 families and the Superintendent is responsible for their welfare and for supervising the day to day running of the Mews. He is also responsible for responding to emergencies at all hours.

Superintendent, Windsor Castle

  As for the Superintendent, Royal Mews.

Superintendent of the St James's Palace State Apartments

  As for the Superintendent, Royal Mews.

Serjeant of the Vestry, the Chapel Royal

  The Serjeant of the Vestry looks after the two chapels and assists the Sub-Dean. It is traditional for post-holders of this kind to be housed.

  Job descriptions for the 39 posts listed above are attached.[2]

Q17.   Why is the money from admission charges to Buckingham Palace routed towards Windsor fire costs via the Royal Collection organisation; how much is collected in total and how much goes into the Windsor restoration funds?

  A17.  Income from Buckingham Palace goes into the account of Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd (who manage the operation) and net profits are then passed to the property services account to help to pay for the restoration of Windsor Castle. Income is proper to the Royal Collection because in accordance with the long established precedent of visitors to the State Apartments at Windsor, the principal purpose of visiting is accepted as viewing the works of art and other items from the Royal Collection on display. This decision was taken by the Royal Household with the agreement of the Department of National Heritage and HM Treasury. In practice, this does not in anyway affect the net profits going to the restoration project. £4.83 million gross income was received in 1993 (£2.28 million from admission and £2.55 millon from shop sales) with the net profit of £2.2 million going towards the restoration of Windsor Castle.

  The Royal Collection Enterprises Limited is a limited company and, its accounts are audited in accordance with the relevant legislation. It receives no taxpayers' money.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

  Mr David Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what the arrangements will be for opening Buckingham Palace once the restoration of Windsor Castle is completed. [35822]

  Mrs Virginia Bottomley: The then Secretary of State announced to the House on 29 April 1993, Official Report, columns 514-15, that the Queen had decided to open parts of Buckingham Palace housing important items of the royal collection to the public and that income from admission charges would be given by the Royal Collection Trust towards the cost of restoring Windsor Castle. The Government welcome the financial contribution which has been made towards the cost of the restoration of the fire damaged areas of Windsor Castle. This has provided a considerable saving to the taxpayer. This arrangement will continue until the restoration is completed.

  The Royal Collection Trust announced today that the Queen has decided to extend the opening of Buckingham Palace beyond 1998 and that the additional revenue will accrue to the Royal Collection Trust once the Windsor Castle restoration is completed. The royal collection is held by the Queen in trust on behalf of the nation. It is one of the largest art collections in the world, yet receives no public funding.

  The Royal Collection Trust will use the income to improve the conservation, restoration, and presentation of this unique collection, while making a contribution towards the maintenance of the areas of Buckingham Palace open to the public, thereby helping to offset the cost to the taxpayer.






1   Not yet printed. Back

2   Not yet received. Back


 
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Prepared 14 March 2001