MR. GEORGE RUSSELLasked the First Commissioner of Works, Whether, having regard to the fact that the money for the erection of the new Law Courts is voted by the House of Commons, and to the fact that the Great Hall of the new Courts is calculated to hold some two thousand persons, he could not see his way to allot more than one hundred and fifty places at the opening ceremony to Members of the House of Commons?
§ MR. GIBSONwished to ask whether the right hon. Gentleman's statement that Members were expected to come in levée dress meant that if they did not wear such dress they would not be let in?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVREI only said that Members would be expected to appear in levée dress, not that they would be required to do so. I think that accommodation for 150 persons is about the proportion that should be devoted to the House of Commons. The Hall will only accommodate about 1,800 persons, and it must be remembered that it will be necessary to give precedence to the Superior Judges, the Queen's Counsel, the Junior Bar, and 1646 the representatives of the Incorporated Law Society. When all that is done the remaining space will be extremely limited.