HC Deb 13 November 1884 vol 293 cc1575-7
MR. DIXON-HARTLAND

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he has seen the Report of the Building Act Committee to the Metropolitan Board of Works, which stated that The Board, having completed their requisitions with respect to the structural alterations required at various theatres existing in the Metropolis at the time of the passing of the Act of 1878, do not propose to take any further action with respect to such theatres, unless in any case they shall receive an official intimation from the Lord Chamberlain that additional alterations have been made; whether such structural alterations can be fairly stated to have provided such exits as the public have a right to consider sufficient for their safety; whether he is aware that it was publicly stated at the Board, without eliciting a denial, when this Report was presented, that the Lord Chamberlain Received fees for work he was unable to perform," that "in Middlesex the justices granted licences without asking the Board if they were satisfied with the entrances and exits or not, and the Surrey justices granted licences to places the plans of which the Board had actually rejected; whether he is aware that nearly 8,000 persons were admitted to Covent Garden Theatre on the night of the 27th October; and, whether, in view of the late terrible catastrophe at Glasgow, and the serious consequences which must have ensued had a panic occurred at Covent Garden Theatre, he is prepared to support a Bill giving such powers to the Lord Chamberlain or Metropolitan Board of Works as will allow a constant and proper inspection of theatres at irregular times instead of only annually and by appointment?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

As the hon. Member is aware, the responsibility of looking after the state of the theatres rests with the Metropolitan Board of Works. I have called the attention of the Board to the matter; they have taken action upon it, and I have no reason to think that the action they have taken is not satisfactory. I have a letter from the Lord Chamberlain's Office, with the Report of the architect employed by the Lord Chamberlain to inspect the theatres previous to the issue of his annual licences in September last, and from this it would appear that the Metropolitan Board have done their work very well, and that the exits from the theatres are safe under any ordinary circumstances. As regards the Question whether the Lord Chamberlain receives fees for work he is unable to perform, the statement is that the Lord Chamberlain receives no fees for the inspection of the theatres, and has no staff available for the performance of such duties, and, therefore, he has specially to employ an architect to inspect the theatres. With respect to Covent Garden Theatre, I have no knowledge as to the number of people who attended there on any particular date, and it is not one of the theatres annually licensed by the Lord Chamberlain, it being open under a Patent dating from the Reign of Charles II. With reference to this Question, which is both important and interesting—If the Metropolitan Board require any further powers? all I can say is that, assuming their proposals are reasonable, they will have all the support I can give them. I may mention that the suggestion made from the Lord Chamberlain's Office, which I think a good one, is that legislation should be provided to the effect that it should be made compulsory that the managers of each place of public entertainment applying for a renewal of their annual licence should produce a certificate from the Metropolitan Board of Works of their safety to the public, making that a condition precedent to the renewal of their licence. If that were done, I think that all the securities that could be reasonably required would be given.

MR. DIXON-HARTLAND

inquired if the right hon. and learned Gentleman would have any objection to laying upon the Table Captain Shaw's Report as to whether the exits from theatres were properly constructed?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

said, he had already given his reasons for coming to the conclusion that the Report should not be published.

MR. O'KELLY

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the exits in question are required not for ordinary, but extraordinary occasions?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

said, it was very difficult to provide for extraordinary occasions. They might provide for what they could anticipate, but it was very difficult to provide for what could not be anticipated.

MR. COLERIDGE KENNARD

asked whether the right hon. and learned Gentleman had received a Report as to the accident in the theatre at Glasgow?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

said, he would ask about that.