§ 50. Mr. R. Aclandasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether it will be permissible for aeroplanes to fly over London during the Coronation ceremony and procession?
§ Sir P. SassoonRegulations have already been issued prohibiting the flight of civil aircraft on Coronation Day over the area enclosed within a circle of five miles radius having its centre at Buckingham Palace. One Royal Air Force aircraft has been authorised to fly within the above area during the morning, but it will be withdrawn before the procession starts.
§ 59. Mr. Duncanasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, how long Kensington. Gardens will be closed to the public; and whether it is possible to keep open parts of the gardens for the children to play in?
§ Commander Southby (Lord of the Treasury)I have been asked to reply. My Noble Friend will use every endeavour to reopen Kensington Gardens a week after the Coronation, and he has arranged that the Flower Walk, the children's playground in the Broad Walk and the Refreshment Pavilion shall be kept open throughout the whole of the period.
§ 60. Mr. Duncanasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether Members of the House of Commons will be allowed to use the covered way now being erected from the Palace of Westminster to the Abbey on Coronation Day if they are attending the ceremony in the Abbey; and, if so, during what hours will it be possible to use it?
§ The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Ramsay MacDonald)I have been asked to reply. In order to speed up the emptying of the Abbey after the Service, a bridge has been constructed during the past few days which will enable Members of the House of Commons to leave the Abbey almost simultaneously with the Peers. To use the covered way after the Service would delay for over an hour Members' exit from the Abbey; but they will, of course, be able to use the covered way for the purpose of reaching the Abbey from the House of Commons if they so desire. Members are required to be in their seats by 8.30 a.m.
§ 69. Mr. Tinkerasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware of the concern that exists over the 1155 employment of members of his Department on Coronation day to act as stewards, attendants, etc., while there are a number of capable unemployed men and women who have applied for the positions and been refused; and will he state why this course has been followed?
§ The President of the Board of Education (Mr. Oliver Stanley)The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. No applications have been received by my Department from unemployed persons for employment in any capacity on Coronation Day. It is essential that the persons employed as stewards and messengers in the Board of Education and on the stand attached to the Department should be familiar with the building.
§ 75. Mr. Morganasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the British Broadcasting Corporation has recently refused to include in its news bulletins any notice by the Coronation Accommodation Committee, which operates with the assistance of the Department of Overseas Trade; and whether, in view of the importance of co-operation between the Corporation and such bodies on the eve of the Coronation, he will cause notices by this committee to be included in broadcast news?
§ The Assistant Postmaster-General (Sir Walter Womersley)I am informed by the British Broadcasting Corporation that the work of the committee in question has been mentioned on a number of occasions in its Empire News Bulletins, and that the large number of official and other notices for which broadcasting time has lately been requested has prevented a similar inclusion in the home bulletins of reference to the committee's work. I will, however, inform the Corporation of my hon. Friend's views.
§ 80. Sir John Haslamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can make any statement as to the closing of shops on Coronation day?
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd)My right hon. Friend has no powers in this matter, but I am glad to take this opportunity of saying on his behalf that he hopes very much that Coronation Day will be observed as a holiday in the distributive trades, as by the rest of the 1156 community, to the fullest extent that is possible consistently with the essential needs of the public, and in particular that, so far as shop assistants are concerned, the day will in every case be regarded as an additional holiday and will not be allowed to prejudice any other holiday which they would normally receive in that week.