§ 44. Mr. B. PETOasked the Under secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether, seeing that the reparation work at the Tower of London and Farleigh Castle in. the past six years have cost, respectively, £153,207 and £7,572, and the total expenditure on the repair of ancient monuments and historic buildings during these six years has been £950,680, and that further works are being commenced, in view of the urgent need for public economy and houses, he will postpone any further work of repair of ancient buildings for the present?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONThe First Commissioner considers that it would be a profound mistake to postpone necessary works of repair to ancient monuments and historic buildings, in which the public take a great and growing interest. I must point out that the figures quoted by my hon. Friend cover the whole expenditure on monuments and historic buildings, including the cost of care taking. The figures for the Tower of London include the wages of the Yeomen Warders as well as the cost of the police who were employed there until 1923. I should also like to remind my hon. Friend that against the expenditure must be set the receipts from admission fees, amounting last year to over £28,700.
§ Mr. PETOMay I ask whether the public would not have paid even more for admission to many of these ancient monuments if they were not defaced by modern pointing?
§ Mr. LANSBURYMay I ask whether the Department traces this new-found zeal for destruction or for allowing ancient monuments to go wrong to Bolshevist propaganda?