§ MR. TITEsaid, he wished to ask the First Commissioner of Works what steps had been taken with reference to the proposed New Government Offices at Downing Street?
§ SIR BENJAMIN HALLsaid, that on the 28th of April, 1856, a Select Committee was appointed for the purpose of considering the best means of providing accommodation for the various Public Departments in the neighbourhood of Downing Street, and to report thereupon to the House.
The Committee considered the whole subject and made their Report on the l8th of July in the same year. The Committee were of opinion that it was most desirable for the Public Service, both as regarded economy and efficiency in the transaction of business that there should be a concentration of Public Offices, and that such concentration should be effected in the immediate vicinity of Whitehall and the Houses of Parliament. They suggested that a site should be acquired comprised in the area bounded by the back of Richmond Terrace and the north front of the Irish Office in Downing Street, on the north; New Palace Yard and Great George Street, on the south; the river Thames on the east, and St. James's Park on the west. It was suggested also, that by the acquisition of that property, an opportunity would be afforded without incurring additional expense to make a great opening from Whitehall to Westminster Abbey, by erecting the new buildings on each side of such thoroughfare. The Committee further recommended, that in case Parliament should sanction the acquisition of the property as set forth in their Report, the design for the different Public Offices to be erected on the proposed site should be submitted to public competition.
Such was the substance of the Report which was presented to the House on the 18th of July, 1856. Soon after that date Parliament was prorogued, and in the 1166 month of August he (Sir Benjamin Hall) received instructions from the Government to take such steps as might be necessary for the purpose of acquiring so much of the property named in the Report of the Committee as lies between the Irish Office and Downing Street on the north, Charles Street on the south, the west side of Parliament Street on the east, and St. James's Park on the west. He was also instructed to put himself into communication with the Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs and for War, in order to ascertain the number of rooms and generally the amount of space that would be required for the services of those departments.
Having carried out these instructions, he drew up certain specifications, a copy of which has already been presented to the House, and he invited the architects of all nations to send in designs for laying out the whole of the ground proposed to be acquired in the Report of the Committee, and for erecting two New Public Offices for War and Foreign Affairs upon so much of the ground as he was sanctioned by the Government to acquire. Designs were sent in from all parts of Europe, and some from America. They were exhibited in Westminster Hall, and premiums were assigned to those which were considered most deserving, in accordance with the specifications issued.
A Bill was also presented to the House for the purpose of acquiring the property down to Charles Street, in accordance with the instructions of Government. The cost of such extension was calculated at £270,000. This Bill passed through a Committee to which it was referred, and was subsequently passed in Committee of the whole House and stood for Third Reading, when in compliance with the wishes of the House it was withdrawn, the consequence was that the whole scheme suggested by the Committee was set aside, and the only space now the property of the Government, and upon which any Public Offices can be placed or any extension of existing offices can be made, is restricted to a most inconvenient and limited site which can be acquired under an Act introduced by his (Sir Benjamin Hall's) predecessor in 1855. This site comprises an area bounded by Downing Street on the north, and a little dirty street called Crown Street on the south, and King Street on the east. There has recently been some correspondence between the Treasury and the Office of Works in relation to the erec- 1167 tion of a Foreign Office upon this very limited area, and if the hon. Gentleman would like to move for that correspondence to he laid on the table of the House, he (Sir Benjamin Hall) would present it without delay, and the public will then see all that has taken place.