69 and 70. Captain CROOKSHANKasked the Minister of Health (1) whether, seeing that the Covent Garden Bill has been withdrawn, he will now take steps to safeguard the open spaces on the Foundling Hospital estate from possible encroachments from other sources;
(2) whether he will set up a Committee to investigate the problem of London squares to ascertain what steps, if any, can be taken to arrange for more of them to be thrown open to the general public?
§ 68. Mr. CADOGANasked the Minister of Health whether he will set up a Departmental or any other committee to investigate the question of squares and open spaces in London?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINWith permission, I will answer these questions together.
As I informed the hon. Member for Holborn last Thursday, I do not at the moment contemplate the appointment of a committee, but I am in communication with the London County Council, who have the question of the London squares under consideration, and I will continue to give the matter my personal attention. The squares on the Foundling Hospital estate, which the hon. and gal lant Member for Gainsborough specially mentions, are within the area of a town-planning scheme which the London County Council are now preparing.
Viscountess ASTORIs it possible to consider such squares as St. James's Square and Grosvenor Square, which are seldom used by the general public? It means such a waste.
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe whole question of the squares in London is under consideration by the London County Council.