§ 25. Mr. HOGGEasked the Prime Minister how many of the statues to distinguished statesmen in the Lobbies were provided from public or private funds; whether the most recent statue to the late Sir William Harcourt was provided by private subscription; and whether, in view of this practice, the Government will reconsider the decision to provide a statue from public moneys to the late Mr. Joseph Chamberlain?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIt is the fact as implied in the question that the statue to Sir William Harcourt was paid for by private subscription, but a large number of statues have been erected at the public expense. In recent years statues provided out of public funds have been erected to Mr. Gladstone, Lord Beaconsfield, Lord Salisbury, and Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, and, in my opinion, it would be the wish of the House of Commons that the statue to Mr. Chamberlain, who was for so long one of the greatest figures in this House, should be erected by the nation.
Mr. J. JONESCan the right hon. Gentleman arrange that one shall be erected to the hon. Member for East Edinburgh?