Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had recent discussions with Historic Royal Palaces on free public access to the grounds of Hampton Court Palace.

Historic Royal Palaces is a charity which raises its own funds and depends on the support of visitors, members, donors, sponsors, and volunteers to look after the extraordinary buildings in its care and share them with the widest possible public. As this is an operational matter for Historic Royal Palaces, the Department has not discussed it with the organisation.