§ 49. Sir H. BRITTAINasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether stone from Darley Dale is to be used for the whole of the repairs to the Houses of Parliament; has he obtained information as to what large buildings in our great cities have been constructed with this stone; and whether it has been tested over a lengthy term of years to withstand the ravages of smoke and time?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Captain Hacking)It is proposed to use Stancliffe stone for the repair of all parts of the building, with the exception of the Cloister Court, for which Chilmark stone has been suggested. Many large Stancliffe stone buildings in London, Liverpool and Manchester have been inspected and have been found to with stand exposure for a considerable number of years. In one case, namely, St. George's Hall, Liverpool, no decay is visible after 80 years' exposure to an acid-laden atmosphere.
§ Mr. N. MACLEANDoes not the hon. Gentleman think some of this money ought to be spent, not on repairing the ornamentation of the building, but in putting it into a condition to enable Members to carry on with their work?
§ Mr. HARDIEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that what we are suffering from in the building is not the stone itself, as a stone, but that part of the stone called the flaw, which, when attacked by the atmosphere, renders it in a state of shiver, and no matter how you may repair the building at the top with fresh stone, unless you are certain that these flaws do not exist below the point of repair it is going to be useless?
§ Captain HACKINGI suggest that the hon. Member should read the Report recently issued by the Office of Works.
§ Mr. HARDIEI did, and the Report, as printed by the Office of Works, contains no assurance on the point have raised.
§ Captain HACKINGIt is very unlikely that if the suggestion of the Office of Works is carried out there will be any risk at all for a large number of years.