Queen sought heating grants

[Vague_Boy]

Very surprised not to see this mentioned already. If I've missed a thread, mods please merge this one into that.

 

Queen tried to use state poverty fund to heat Buckingham Palace

 

The Queen asked ministers for a poverty handout to help heat her palaces but was rebuffed because they feared it would be a public relations disaster, documents disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act reveal.

 

Royal aides were told that the £60m worth of energy-saving grants were aimed at families on low incomes and if the money was given to Buckingham Palace instead of housing associations or hospitals it could lead to "adverse publicity" for the Queen and the Government.

 

Aides complained to ministers in 2004 that the Queen's gas and electricity bills, which had increased by 50 per cent that year, stood at more than £1m a year and had become "untenable".

 

LINK

 

I guess we really are "all in this together".

 

Has Qeenie not considered taking in a few lodgers to help ends meet? All the offspring have left home now and there's plenty of rooms standing empty at Buck House.

[haggis]

so you would deny two oap's their heating allowance just because they live in a few palaces?lol

[HeadingNorth]

so you would deny two oap's their heating allowance just because they live in a few palaces?lol

 

Traditionally it is the left wing which are vehemently against means-testing; if they are to be consistent, they must also be against the Queen being means-tested.

[*Wallace*]

The cheeky old bag.

[julesmarie]

The Queen was reportedly refused an anti-poverty grant to help heat her palaces because Whitehall officials feared it would cause a public relations backlash.

 

In an effort to cut the Royal Household's soaring electricity and gas bills, a senior aide wrote to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in 2004 to ask if the Queen would be eligible for a handout from a £60m energy-saving fund.

 

He complained that the cost of royal utilities, which doubled in 2004, stood at £1m a year and had become "untenable" and that the £15m Government grant to maintain the Queen's palaces was inadequate.

 

The request for a grant to replace four combined heat and power (CHP) units at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle was turned down in August 2004, according to documents obtained by The Independent under the Freedom of Information Act.

 

In an apologetic email sent to the Palace, it was explained that the handouts were aimed at schools, hospitals, councils and housing associations for heating programmes which benefit low-income families.

 

The official also expressed concern that if Buckingham Palace was given money from the fund it would lead to "probable adverse press coverage".

 

So what do people think,should the queen get this grant or is it unfair.

 

My husband and I struggle as i'msure alot of you will,to pay bills every year, but we are not allowed any grants, so I don't think they should be allowed.

 

Perhaps they ought to turn off more lights, and not have any rooms heated unless using them,perhaps they do already, i'm not sure about that.

[speedy69]

Every one is feeling the pinch love:hihi:

[julesmarie]

I know its really hard for any hard working people topay heating bills but come on, as if the royals don't get enough help already.

[daftlad]

let andy cut down down on his air trips, that money will keep the palaces going for years

[terryh]

perhaps she should move to a smaler place or somewhere warmer like india

[daftlad]

my heart bleeds (not) for the poor thing, not been able to keep her houses warm, put an extra cardy on like us