Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the terms of reference for the next review of the Sovereign Grant in April 2026 will be prepared; who will be responsible for preparing them; and what input will be invited from parliamentarians.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The requirements for the 2026 review of the Sovereign Grant have been set by Parliament in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011. This requires the Royal Trustees to consider what percentage of Crown Estate profits should be used in the calculation of the Sovereign Grant for the period from 2027, once Buckingham Palace reservicing works are completed. The Act requires that the Royal Trustees report is laid in Parliament, and any change in the percentage used given effect by Statutory Instrument agreed by the House of Commons. In addition, the government has committed to bring forward legislation to reset the Grant to a lower level from 2027-28, which will enable further parliamentary debate on this issue.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Ministry of Defence provided briefings to Prince Andrew after he left the Royal Navy and during his tenure as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, what was the nature of such briefings, and on what date they ceased.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
A review with areas that could have been involved in supporting Prince Andrew in his role as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, has not produced records of such briefings.