Pope Benedict XVI: State Visit Funding Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateLord Martin of Springburn
Main Page: Lord Martin of Springburn (Crossbench - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Martin of Springburn's debates with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
(13 years, 9 months ago)
Lords ChamberThe noble Lord is usually right in his interventions, but in this case he is dead wrong. The contributions from DfID and other departments all had their good reasons. It so happens that the Government take the view—and, I suspect, the noble Lord takes the view—that the work of the Catholic Church in health and education overseas reinforces and combines with our work in a most valuable way. I hate to hear any suggestion that it should be downgraded as the noble Lord’s question implied.
My Lords, may I have it put on the record that this was nothing to do with the Catholic Church? This was a decision of ministerial departments.
I am not quite sure what the noble Lord is saying. He is right—this was partly a visit by a head of state to Her Majesty the Queen, and a pastoral visit. The money I am talking about related to the heads of state costs incurred by the Government—and rightly so. The Church also made its contribution to other pastoral costs, but I am talking about the Government’s costs.