Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merit of replacing the Sovereign Grant by a Royal Duties Grant similar to the former Civil List which would be considered and approved by Parliament annually.

Answered by Lord Livermore

The rules governing the Sovereign Grant are set out in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011. This Act requires a review following every five-year period to ensure the percentage of Crown Estate profits used in the calculation of the Grant remains appropriate.

The most recent Sovereign Grant Review was published on 26 June this year. The Royal Trustees concluded that a reference rate of 20.5 per cent is appropriate for the funding formula from 2027-28 onwards, which equates to a 2027-28 Grant amount of £99.9 million, a reduction against the £137.9 million in 2026-27.

The Government is committed to bringing forward legislation to enable the Grant to be reset to that lower level from 2027-28 and will bring forward the Sovereign Grant Bill when parliamentary time allows. This Bill will also introduce a mechanism so that in future years, the Grant can be reduced from one year to the next, preventing inappropriately high funding without the need for further primary legislation. This legislation will enable further parliamentary debate to occur.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, whether he plans to take steps to improve parliamentary scrutiny of the public finances of the Royal Family.

Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

Oversight and accountability arrangements for royal finance matters have been set by Parliament in legislation. The provisions in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011 subject the funding for the Monarch’s official duties to the same audit scrutiny as other government expenditure. The Sovereign Grant accounts are audited by the National Audit Office and laid before Parliament every year, and the Sovereign Grant is within scope of the National Audit Office's value‑for‑money examinations.

The Sovereign Grant Bill will be brought forward during the current session of Parliament, as part of which Hon. and Rt Hon. Members will have the opportunity to debate and scrutinise the public finances of the Royal Family.

There are also a number of other ways Hon. and Rt Hon. Members can secure a debate on this topic, such as applying for a Westminster Hall debate.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, if he will institute an annual debate on public funding for the Royal Family.

Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

Oversight and accountability arrangements for royal finance matters have been set by Parliament in legislation. The provisions in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011 subject the funding for the Monarch’s official duties to the same audit scrutiny as other government expenditure. The Sovereign Grant accounts are audited by the National Audit Office and laid before Parliament every year, and the Sovereign Grant is within scope of the National Audit Office's value‑for‑money examinations.

The Sovereign Grant Bill will be brought forward during the current session of Parliament, as part of which Hon. and Rt Hon. Members will have the opportunity to debate and scrutinise the public finances of the Royal Family.

There are also a number of other ways Hon. and Rt Hon. Members can secure a debate on this topic, such as applying for a Westminster Hall debate.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Livermore on 30 March (HL15749 and HL15750), on what date they expect to receive the report of the Royal Trustees on the 2026 review of the Sovereign Grant; when they intend to lay that report before Parliament; and when they intend to introduce the Sovereign Grant Bill announced in the King’s Speech.

Answered by Lord Livermore

As required by the Sovereign Grant Act 2011, the next review of the Sovereign Grant is taking place this year. Further detail will be announced in due course.

The Government is committed to bringing forward legislation to reset the Grant to a lower level from 2027-28 once Buckingham Palace reservicing works are completed. The Government will bring forward the Sovereign Grant Bill when parliamentary time allows.

Found: Household is referred to as a sovereign support grant rather than grant-in-aid under the Sovereign Grant Bill

Found: Household is referred to as a sovereign support grant rather than grant-in-aid under the Sovereign Grant Bill

Found: The Sovereign Grant Bill will be brought forward to give effect to this reset.

Found: .......................................................................................98 Sovereign Grant Bill

Found: ....................................................................................... 98 Sovereign Grant Bill

Found: ...................................................................................... 98 Sovereign Grant Bill