MPs today said that Buckingham Palace should be opened to more paying visitors when the Queen is not in residence to fund improvements to the royal estate.
The influential Public Accounts Committee criticised the Royal Household for mismanaging its finances.
Chairwoman Margaret Hodge said there was "huge scope for savings" on the annual £31m of taxpayer funds given to the Queen to spend on official duties.
But a spokeswoman for the royals said spending was now more transparent.
The Sovereign Grant replaced the old Civil List and grants-in-aid system in 2012...
A soldier has been honoured with the British Army's first promotion in the field since 1953.
Rifleman Gigar Das, from 1st Battalion The Rifles (1 RIFLES), was honoured a promotion in the field for his service to Mali while serving as part of the EU Training Team.
The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall, accompanied the head of the French Army, General Bertrand Ract-Madoux, to witness soldiers from 1 RIFLES delivering infantry training to their Malian counterparts.
Both generals were hugely impressed with Rifleman Das as they observed him conducting a...
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Join us on Saturday 1st February 2014 from 11am - 12.30pm for an introduction to the benefits of Qi Energy Treatments and Qi Classes at the Qi Wellness Centre in Exeter.
Led by experienced Qi Master Practitioners, this is a one-and-a-half hour introduction to Qi Energy rooted in an understanding of vitality and wellbeing from South Korea.
1) Introductory Question & Answer Session: What is Qi Energy and how it...
Police have seized suspected cannabis plants, with an estimated street value of £250,000, following a warrant at a warehouse in Marsh Barton, Exeter.
Officers were alerted to the premises at 8.15pm on Saturday 25 January after a police dog handler was walking in the area as part of a training exercise and noticed an overwhelming smell of what she believed to be cannabis.
The dog led the officers to a non-descript warehouse on the estate, where neighbourhood officers were called to assist.
A Misuse of Drugs Act warrant was obtained direct from a magistrate, allowing...
Local charity Hospiscare is appealing for volunteers to help out at the 2014 Men’s Walk in exchange for a pint, pasty and day of fun.
Hundreds of men have already signed up to take part in the rugby day out taking place on March 15.
The 10k walk, sponsored by Wilkinson Grant & Co, will lead the men from the Exeter Chiefs’ home ground, Sandy Park, onto a route going through Ludwell Valley Park before heading back to the finish line.
Hospiscare is now appealing for people to sign up to volunteer on the day, offering essential support at the event from marshalling...
Exeter City Council's Customer Service Centre looks set to change its opening hours.
The decision which will go before the City Council's Executive on Tuesday 4 February, could see the centre open for an extra day each week.
Currently the Customer Service Centre is open four days a week but stays open into the late evening on Thursday. Cllr Rob Hannaford, Lead Councillor for Housing and Customer Access, said the Council had been trialling the late night opening on Thursdays since March last year but it hadn't been very popular.
Exeter-based commercial property advisers Space recently successfully negotiated a lease renewal for Japanese toy manufacturer, Tomy, saving the company tens of thousands of pounds.
Tomy has been based at Hembury House, Pynes Hill, Exeter for the last ten years and approached Space in 2013 as their property lease was due to expire.
After a thorough audit of available alternatives, Space recommended that Tomy stay put and managed lease negotiations on their behalf. Space achieved a considerable rent-free period for Tomy as well as an overall rent reduction.
After the success of their inaugural event, the Theatre Buddy Scheme will return on 1st February as student volunteers invite elderly residents of a local care home to join them for an afternoon of musical theatre.
Students from the University of Exeter Students’ Guild’s Theatre Goers Society will accompany performing arts enthusiasts from Woodhayes Brendoncare residential care home to a matinee performance of West Side Story, being presented by Exeter University Footlights at Exeter Northcott Theatre.
The innovative Theatre Goers Scheme was developed to support care home...
The UK economy has had its fastest growth since 2007,with UK GDP growing by 1.9% of in 2013 according to a report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). GDP used as the primary measure of a country’s economic growth, grew by 0.7% in the last quarter of 2013, down slightly on the 0.8% growth seen in the third quarter. While growth is at the highest it has been for several years it is still below pre-recession levels. Most of the main industrial areas of the UK also saw increased output in the last quarter with only the construction industry, which accounts for less 8% of GDP,...
