Queen should open her books to full scrutiny before she gets £6m pay rise, demands Labour MP

Speaking out: Ian Davidson MP for Glasgow South West has called for more transparency in the royal finances

Speaking out: Ian Davidson MP for Glasgow South West has called for more transparency in the royal finances

The Queen was facing criticism from MPs today after demanding her first pay rise in 20 years to plug a black hole in her finances.

The royal household was warned that it must be more open about its spending before it is handed 'vast' sums of public money.

Palace officials have told the Treasury the £7.9million annual civil list should be increased by around £6million to maintain spending on state duties.

The request is politically explosive at a time when the new coalition is imposing draconian £6billion public sector cuts in a bid to bring down Britain's record deficit.

Supporters of the Queen say that she has been forced to dip into reserves to cover the cost of the official royal household, from banquets and furnishings to housemaids and footmen.

They also insist that the monarch is good value for money - costing each taxpayer an average of just 69p a year.

The Queen's treasurer Sir Alan Reid has briefed senior government officials that the monarch's expenditure is now running at around £6million more than the annual allowance.

This shortfall is currently being met by an emergency reserve which is due to run out in 2012 - the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year.

However, Labour MP Ian Davidson said it would be 'inappropriate' to hand more money to the royal household without seeing the books.

Mr Davidson, a former member of the Commons' public accounts committee, said: 'These are difficult economic times, the Government's said "we're all in this together" and I think it would be inappropriate in these circumstances for the Queen to be handed vast sums of additional money.'

'I think the price of any consideration of the royals getting more money should be that they have to be open about where the money goes, about the link between the Queen's private fortune and the public purse, because there's a deliberate blurring of the edges between what is private and what is public.'

Well kept: The Queen us rumoured to have asked for increased public funding while keeping a lid on the majority of spending

Well kept: The Queen us rumoured to have asked for increased public funding while keeping a lid on the majority of spending

Asked about the reports that the reserve was being exhausted, he said: 'Allegedly. We have to look carefully at how much money is there, how much money they are spending.'

Mr Davidson added: 'Let's see whether or not there are economies that can be made, whether or not we could get rid of some of the flunkies that surround the monarchy, whether or not everything is being done in the most cost-effective way.'

The civil list is negotiated every ten years and the Government has to report to Parliament on the grant by July 3rd at the latest.

Courtiers claim the Queen should, at least, expect an increase to her annual funding which takes account of inflation over the last two decade - which has soared by around 80 per cent.

The current level of the civil list was agreed by former prime minister John Major when he was chancellor of the exchequer in 1990. It was later frozen by Tony Blair in 2000.

Graham Smith, spokesman for anti-monarchy group Republic, said: 'This has nothing to do with the maintenance of buildings and palaces, which is paid for by other government grants.

'The Civil List pays for servants, footmen and flunkies. If the Palace claims this money is necessary, then let's see the books.'

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