Taxpayers forked out almost £700,000 last year for expenditure relating to the Lieutenant Governor . The figures have been revealed following a freedom of information request by advocate Ian Kermode which has broken down several costs of running the house. The total overall budget at Government House for 2023 was £698,534.
57, which includes the salaries of the governor and all staff, as well as the day to day running costs of Government House and grounds. Mr Kermode questioned whether there was now a need for such expenditure for the role of Lieutenant Governor. Manx Grand Prix fans spend night in restaurant after being 'asked to leave' terminal One-year anniversary of Manxman to be marked with celebratory cruise Warning to visitors as sinkhole appears at island beauty spot Death of pensioner who fell from bedroom window was 'accidental' He said: ‘Is this extravagant expenditure necessary, proportionate and justified in our evolving self-governing democracy, particularly given difficult economic circumstances faced by many island residents?’ Gardening costs amounted to £97,491 while £2,366 was spent on vehicle servicing.
A further £45,286 was spent on building maintenance and energy costs which came from the Department of Infrastructure budget. The cost of food and drink in 2023 was £14,473 which catered for 4,785 guests to the house during functions and events but the budget for this was 22% less than in 2008. The FoI also revealed that Government House has a small.