MR. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHasked the First Commissioner of Works, What steps are being taken to carry out the suggestions of the Commission on the sanitary state of the War Office, suggestions which they state "if carried out, will, in our opinion, only mitigate evils, not remove them;" and, whether, considering that Sir William Jenner and the other Commissioners express that opinion, and further declare "that by no alterations can the building be rendered sanitarily satisfactory," but that its 'salient sanitary defects" are "inherent to its structure, and cannot, we believe, be so effectually removed as to render possible the retention of the present War Office," Her Majesty's Government have any scheme under consideration for the erection of a new War Office?
§ MR. GERARD NOEL, in reply, said, that plans and estimates were being prepared with a view to carrying out the recommendations of the Committee, and that whenever they were ready they would be sent to the Treasury for sanction and approval. When that approval was obtained, every effort would be made by the Board of Works to give as speedy effect as possible to the recommendations.
1261 The erection of a new War Office would be a very formidable undertaking, and he feared he could not at present give any definite answer to the second part of the Question.