Ministers rule out preference for residents in palace charges

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Aug 2003

Hampton Court Palace.

Ministers at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport have told local MPs that they have received legal advice ruling out preferential rates for local residents in the event that Hampton Court Palace introduces charges for admission to the Palace gardens: a letter from the Minister says that the palace "cannot offer concessionary rates to members of the local community."

In framing its proposals for charges (an announcement is expected in the next few weeks) the Palace will have to charge local residents on the same basis as overseas tourists from the EU (since the legal opinion is based on a European Court ruling in January).

Vincent Cable said: "This puts a large spanner in the works. It also has the effect of discriminating against local people who use the facilities regularly rather than once in a lifetime as tourists do."