§ MR. KIMBER (Wandsworth)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether ho proposes to approve the plans for the erection of the new Police Court for Wandsworth on the Lavender Hill site, having regard to the fact that that site is a mile outside of Wandsworth; and whether he is aware that the Chief Magistrate is of opinion that the Lavender Hill site is not in the best position for the business, and that the proposed removal of the; site so far from Wandsworth itself, has occasioned great dissatisfaction there?
§ MR. OCTAVIUS V. MORGAN (Battersea)Will the erection of the new Police Court for the Wandsworth district, at Lavender Hill, near Clapham Junction, be commenced about August, as stated on 21st April last?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.A Departmental Committee, which included Lord Rosebery, Sir E. Henderson, and Sir J. Ingham, reported in 1881 that a new Court ought to be erected as near as possible to Clapham Junction. The Wandsworth District Board of Works, more than once, in 1887, strongly urged upon me the desirability of this being done. A new site was accordingly acquired, with the concurrence of the then Chief Magistrate and the Commissioner of Police, at Lavender Hill, which is not more than 400 yards from the Clapham Junction Railway Station. It is doubtful whether this site could now be disposed of except at a loss. It is true that Sir John Bridge has expressed 1325 doubts as to the convenience of the new site. The plans are now before me for approval, and in the ordinary course the building will commence early in August. Under all the circumstances I do not think it will be to the public advantage to re-open the question of the site now that matters have progressed so far, and there being such a weight of opinion in favour of the suitability of that particular site.