§ 47. Mr. Watkinsonasked the Lord President of the Council what proportion of the space in the Festival of Britain Exhibition is being allocated to the display of engineering products.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. William Whiteley)I have been asked to reply. Several of the Festival of Britain exhibitions will deal with oustanding British achievements in engineering, and will, incidentally, display certain engineering products. Engineering will be particularly prominent in the main exhibition on the South Bank and in the exhibition of industrial power in the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow.
§ Mr. WatkinsonWhile thanking the right hon. Gentleman for his reply, may 32 I ask whether he is aware that certain sections of the engineering industry are finding great difficulty in agreeing on this question of the proper display of their products; and will he perhaps look into the matter to see that this exhibition, which is costing the taxpayer such a large sum of money, does at least try to bring some return in giving the maximum possible display to our products?
§ Mr. WhiteleyThe hon. Gentleman must realise that there are several exhibitions in connection with the Festival. There is the land travelling exhibition—
§ Mr. WatkinsonIt is the exhibition on the South Bank.
§ Mr. Whiteley—and the seaborne exhibition, and they all have their engineering sides, which will have to be looked at. As we get nearer to the exhibition we shall get some idea of the space required, but that matter is being kept firmly in mind.