To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on enabling owners of older homes in conservation areas to improve the energy efficiency of their properties; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that heritage protection requirements are balanced with the...

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on enabling owners of older homes in conservation areas to improve the energy efficiency of their properties; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that heritage protection requirements are balanced with the...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has assessed the challenges for coastal towns and other areas with significant stocks of older housing in improving residential energy efficiency; and whether he has a national strategy for addressing heritage protection, household affordability, housing...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has assessed the challenges for coastal towns and other areas with significant stocks of older housing in improving residential energy efficiency; and whether he has a national strategy for addressing heritage protection, household affordability, housing...

Lords second reading. Committee negatived. Standing Order 44 having been dispensed with, Lords third reading. Bill passed.

Lords second reading. Committee negatived. Standing Order 44 having been dispensed with, Lords third reading. Bill passed.

My Lords, this Bill relates to the sovereign grant, which Parliament has provided to support the official duties of the monarch and the work of the Royal Household.

The Bill implements the conclusions of a recent royal trustees’ review of the sovereign grant. It does three things. First, it will reset...

My Lords, this Bill relates to the sovereign grant, which Parliament has provided to support the official duties of the monarch and the work of the Royal Household.

The Bill implements the conclusions of a recent royal trustees’ review of the sovereign grant. It does three things. First, it will reset...

My Lords, I support the Minister in his aims and am pleased that he set out so well the important work that the Royal Family does on behalf of our country, promoting our diplomatic efforts, entertaining important guests of the nation and supporting the Government of the day in the...

My Lords, I support the Minister in his aims and am pleased that he set out so well the important work that the Royal Family does on behalf of our country, promoting our diplomatic efforts, entertaining important guests of the nation and supporting the Government of the day in the...

My Lords, I have great respect for the Minister. As a fellow Scot, he will make sure that every bawbee gets value for money. I understand that he will have had a brief from down the Corridor. In fact, having read Commons Hansard, the words were quite familiar. But I...

My Lords, I have great respect for the Minister. As a fellow Scot, he will make sure that every bawbee gets value for money. I understand that he will have had a brief from down the Corridor. In fact, having read Commons Hansard, the words were quite familiar. But I...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow my noble friend Lord Foulkes of Cumnock. This Bill comes at a time when many households are struggling to make ends meet. Under this Bill, the core funding of the Royal Household—that is, after ignoring the money allocated for refurbishment of...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow my noble friend Lord Foulkes of Cumnock. This Bill comes at a time when many households are struggling to make ends meet. Under this Bill, the core funding of the Royal Household—that is, after ignoring the money allocated for refurbishment of...

My Lords, it is a real honour to follow my two colleagues who spoke before me and have given so much detailed information about what is wrong with the Crown Estate and the sovereign grant system. I welcome my noble friend the Minister’s clarification of what is in the Bill;...

My Lords, it is a real honour to follow my two colleagues who spoke before me and have given so much detailed information about what is wrong with the Crown Estate and the sovereign grant system. I welcome my noble friend the Minister’s clarification of what is in the Bill;...

My Lords, I will focus on the Bill and not on the broader issues. I also intend to be brief, as my colleagues in the Commons spoke to the issues and we will support the Bill.

First, with 10 Prime Ministers of the UK in a decade and a President in...

My Lords, I will focus on the Bill and not on the broader issues. I also intend to be brief, as my colleagues in the Commons spoke to the issues and we will support the Bill.

First, with 10 Prime Ministers of the UK in a decade and a President in...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for introducing the Bill and the context for its passage so clearly.

The sovereign grant provides the public funding that is necessary to support the monarch in carrying out their official duties and to meet the associated costs of the Royal Household, including...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for introducing the Bill and the context for its passage so clearly.

The sovereign grant provides the public funding that is necessary to support the monarch in carrying out their official duties and to meet the associated costs of the Royal Household, including...

My Lords, this has been an interesting discussion, and rightly so. I will do my best to respond to those parts of the debate where I can. If I fail so to do, please contact me afterwards; a written response might be better.

It is right that we have this discussion...

My Lords, this has been an interesting discussion, and rightly so. I will do my best to respond to those parts of the debate where I can. If I fail so to do, please contact me afterwards; a written response might be better.

It is right that we have this discussion...

There is another quotation from Robert Burns:

“Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie,

O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!”

If each of us were not to stand up and raise questions, we would be accused of being a “Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie”. I hope my noble friend recognises that Members of this...

There is another quotation from Robert Burns:

“Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie,

O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!”

If each of us were not to stand up and raise questions, we would be accused of being a “Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie”. I hope my noble friend recognises that Members of this...

Absolutely, and I was not offering that in any way as a put-down of the debate. Rather, I was thinking of something that I could compare in government expenditure to the sovereign grant,

and I chose House of Lords expenditure. I cannot see how I can compare it to nurses’...

Absolutely, and I was not offering that in any way as a put-down of the debate. Rather, I was thinking of something that I could compare in government expenditure to the sovereign grant,

and I chose House of Lords expenditure. I cannot see how I can compare it to nurses’...

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help preserve historic buildings in East Sussex.

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help preserve historic buildings in East Sussex.

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help preserve historic buildings in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help preserve historic buildings in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help preserve historic buildings in West Sussex.

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help preserve historic buildings in West Sussex.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made on the impact of changing the recoverability of VAT on the repair and reuse of heritage buildings, including churches, and in particular the viability of converting heritage buildings to appropriate housing.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made on the impact of changing the recoverability of VAT on the repair and reuse of heritage buildings, including churches, and in particular the viability of converting heritage buildings to appropriate housing.

A briefing on the Finances of the Monarchy, including the Sovereign Grant, Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and tax arrangements for members of the Royal Family.

A briefing on the Finances of the Monarchy, including the Sovereign Grant, Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and tax arrangements for members of the Royal Family.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 on the conservation and maintenance of historic buildings and places of worship.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 on the conservation and maintenance of historic buildings and places of worship.