Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 September (HL9906), what are the cost, extent and purpose of the current building works, including refurbishment and routine maintenance, taking place at the residence of the UK's Permanent Representative to the EU.

I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave him on the 18 September [HL 9906].

The Ducale Residence is a vital part of our diplomatic operations in Brussels, used by the UK Permanent Representatives to the EU and NATO and the British Ambassador to Belgium. Routine maintainance was carried out in order to repair the façade, secure loose masonry and protect window frames at a cost of £62,000.