HC Deb 18 August 1887 vol 319 cc941-2
MR SHAW LEFEVRE (Bradford, Central)

asked the First Commissioner of Works, Whether he will lay upon the Table of the House the Correspondence between the Government and Messrs. Leeming and Company which has resulted in the proposal in the Supplementary Estimates for a Vote of £8,500?

THE FIRST COMMISSIONER (Mr. PLUNKET) (Dublin University)

The proposal in the Supplementary Estimates to pay Messrs. Leeming £8,000 in full satisfaction of their claims has resulted from the Report of the Select Committee on the Admiralty and War Office Sites, which sat this year, and by a very large majority recommended that the scheme known as Messrs. Leeming's should be abandoned, and the additional sum of £500 will be asked for the preparation of plans for extending the existing Admiralty buildings, as also recommended by the Select Committee. Messrs. Leeming have acted with perfect propriety in the matter; and from the communications which have passed between them and my Department, I have no grounds for supposing that we shall have any difficulty in dealing with them. Under these circumstances, I see no reason for laying on the Table of the House the correspondence which has taken place; but I shall willingly show the letters to the right hon. Gentleman, should he wish to see them.

MR. SHAW LEFEVRE

asked, If the Vote of £500 in the Estimates would commit the House to the plans referred to?

MR. PLUNKET

To that extent certainly it will.

In reply to a further Question,

MR. PLUNKET

added that he would endeavour to have the evidence taken before the Committee and the plans issued to Members before the Vote was taken.