HC Deb 12 July 1906 vol 160 cc1064-5
MR. CHIOZZA MONEY

I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, if his attention has been directed to the fact that the cost of upkeep of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, added to the rental value of the area which they cover, amounts to a very large sum of money; and whether he will consider the advisability of making that expenditure of more value to the taxpayers by adding to the staff the few men necessary to enable the gardens to be opened on Sunday mornings without adding to the hours of Sunday labour.

SIR EDWARD STRACHEY

My noble friend has given further consideration to the representations made by my hon. friend on this subject, but he regrets that he does not see his way to modify the conclusion at which he previously arrived. I may add that the additional expenditure entailed by the earlier opening of the gardens as proposed would not be less than £600 a year.