§ MR. EVELYN CECIL (Aston Manor)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the closing of the reading room of the British Museum for six months for repainting, and of the fact that on foggy days books only actually inside the reading room are available because the rest of the galleries are not artificially lit, and as in winter the hours of the distribution of books from other parts of the building are necessarily very restricted, he will consider the desirability of lighting the other parts of the library by electricity.
§ MR. RUNCIMANI am informed that during the closing of the reading room the books on the shelves of the room have been removed from thence and are available for the readers, who are temporarily accommodated in other rooms of the library. It is not proposed to alter the present system of supply of books from other parts of the library. Readers can secure the use of such books late in the afternoon by giving notice earlier in the day; and on special emergencies such hooks can be, and are, supplied to readers without previous notice even though at some inconvenience to the staff. The trustees, who are responsible for the safety of the collections of the British Museum, state that they cannot consent to instal electric light throughout all the storagerooms and galleries of the library.