§ 48. Mr. Teelingasked the Lord President of the Council what is the standing of Festival Gardens, Ltd., as regards the Festival of Britain; what money has been granted to it; how it was formed; and what licences have been granted it to bring foreign amusement machines into this country as regards remission of Purchase Tax or expenditure of dollars.
§ Mr. WhiteleyI have been asked to reply. Festival Gardens, Ltd., was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1948, for the sole purpose of establishing and managing the Festival Pleasure Gardens in Battersea Park on behalf of the Festival of Britain. The directors were appointed with the authority of my right hon. Friend the Lord President by the Chairman of the Festival of Britain Council, but they include representatives of the London County Council and the amusement caterers as well as independents and senior officials of the Festival of Britain Office. The Chairman, Sir Henry French, is a member of the Festival of Britain Council. The total loans to the company are expected to be up to £770,000. Of this amount 40 per cent. up to £200,000 will be advanced by the London County Council and the remainder through the Festival of Britain Office Vote.
No licences have yet been granted to the company to bring foreign amusement machines into this country. The company have, however, been given authority to spend up to the equivalent of £30,000 in dollars for the purchase of amusement park equipment in the U.S.A. for the provision of new features which are not available in this country. No remission of Purchase Tax has been sought for.
§ Mr. TeelingWill the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that if it can 1558 be found—and there is still time to find out—that if that amount of money was given to the manufacturers in this country and they could produce the goods, they will be allowed to do so? Can the right hon. Gentleman also say why there is no prominent representative of any of the manufacturers of entertainment amusements on that Board?
§ Mr. WhiteleyI am informed that this is a very representative Board. I have the names here: the Chairman is Sir Henry French; the Deputy-Chairman is Mr. Hayward, Leader of the L.C.C.; Festival of Britain Office—Mr. Gerald Barry, Mr. George Campbell and Mr. Cecil Cooke; Mr. D. H. Daines, Sir Arthur Elvin, Mr. G. J. Hill, Major H. L. Joseph, Lord Latham.
§ Mr. Teeling rose——
§ Mr. WhiteleyDo not be too impatient. There are also Sir Giles Loder, Sir Howard Roberts, Mr. Bernard Sendall and Mr. Leonard Crainford.
§ Mr. TeelingHave these people ever manufactured "Dodgem" cars?
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonCan my right hon. Friend suggest to the amusement park authorities the possibility of having a museum section in the amusement park where there could be displayed some of the prehistoric amusement machines to be seen at Brighton at present?
§ Mr. ChurchillMy Question is of a general nature. Is it not rather hard on the Patronage Secretary to be drawn into all this storm on the detailed controversial matters out of the calm sphere over which he habitually presides with so much success?
§ Mr. H. PriceIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that 100,000 dollars is sufficient to buy timber for 350 houses, and is he aware that the country would rather have 350 houses than any amount of foreign amusement equipment?
§ Mr. WhiteleyI was under the impression that the House would like the Festival to be a success. [HON. MEMBERS: "It is a British festival."] The Festival of Great Britain. I thought they would like it to be a success, but I am beginning to wonder.
§ Mr. HarrisonIn view of the widespread publicity given to these Questions in the Tory Press, and in view of the inaccuracies implied within them, will my right hon. Friend take steps similarly to publicise widely the answers he has given today?
§ Mr. John HayWill the right hon. Gentleman specify the amusement equipment which is to be purchased with these dollars?
§ Mr. H. StraussWill the right hon. Gentleman look at that characteristic example of the Tory Press—today's "Manchester Guardian"—to see what is intended, and will he also consider, with the Lord President of the Council, that Americans are far more likely to be attracted to this Festival by the hope of seeing English things——
§ Sir T. MooreBritish things.
§ Mr. StraussEnglish and Scottish things. [HON. MEMBERS: "And Welsh."] And Welsh. [HON. MEMBERS: "And Northern Irish."] And Northern Irish. Will not Americans be far more likely to be attracted by this than by the prospect of seeing here what they can see on Coney Island?
§ Mr. ChurchillCan the Prime Minister give us any notice of when the Lord President of the Council will be able to return to his task?
§ Mr. Teeling rose——
§ Mr. SpeakerI think we ought to get on. We seem to have started a fun fair already.
§ Mr. TeelingIn view of the extremely unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I will raise this matter at the earliest opportunity.