UK: No public funding for new royal yacht (AP)

LONDON ? Britain's prime minister says Queen Elizabeth II will not be getting public funding for a new royal yacht to mark her Diamond Jubilee.

David Cameron's spokesman said Monday it would not be "appropriate" to use taxpayer funds for that purpose.

But Cameron's office has not ruled out the possibility of helping Buckingham Palace to secure private sector funding, if royal officials decide that the queen needs a new vessel.

The issue was raised by Education Secretary Michael Gove. He said in a letter leaked to the press that a new yacht would be an ideal gift to mark the queen's 60th year on the throne.

It is estimated that a new yacht would cost at least 60 million pounds ($92 million).

The Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned in 1997.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120116/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_royal_yacht

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