Lisbon: Lapa Palace

Lord Higgins Excerpts

Monday 20th July 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Higgins (Con)]

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that civil servants appear to have a list of things to place on new Ministers’ desks as soon as they arrive, which reflects their own enthusiasm. Indeed, when I first arrived at the Treasury, I immediately got a proposal to sell off the French, American and Italian embassies, which I turned down.

[Noble Lords]

Hear, hear!

[Lord Higgins]

Am I to understand that the same thing is happening again?

[The Earl of Courtown]

I do not think so. My noble friend, with his great experience, informs the House of what happened a number of years ago. I assure him that, as I said earlier, any decisions or requests to sell any of these designated residences would have to go over the desk of my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary.