§ SIR F. DIXON-HARTLAND: (Middlesex, Uxbridge)To ask the President of the Local Government Board if he can give the reason for the delay in re-paving Piccadilly in front of the Piccadilly Hotel; whether the hotel authorities gave the local authority notice more than two months ago that they were ready for the work to be done, as all the scaffolding has been removed, and as the delay is causing great inconvenience to the traffic; and if he will do his best to get it carried out at once.
§ (Answered by Mr. John Burns.) I have made inquiry on this subject, and am informed that the first communication from the architect of the Piccadilly Hotel asking the Westminster City Council to proceed with the new paving in front of the hotel was received on 17th January last. The engineer of the London County Council, who are concerned in the widening of Piccadilly, was communicated with on the same day, and on the 19tha letter was received from him stating that he had no objection to the work's being done. The preparation of the estimates was at once proceeded with, and they were submitted to the Improvements Committee of the City Council on 11th February and to the Finance Committee on the 15th. The reports of these committees will be laid before the City Council to-morrow, and there is every reason to anticipate that the City engineer will be authorised to proceed with the paving forthwith. I am also 822 informed that no complaints as to inconvenience to traffic have been received. It is stated that the roadway is in no way interfered with, and that the hoarding only projects 18 inches over the existing public footway.