FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN (Hansard, 23 October 1950)

§ 49. Sir W. Smithers
asked the Lord President of the Council how much art paper is being used for programmes and propaganda purposes for the Festival of Britain.

§ Mr. H. Morrison
I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ashford (Mr. Deedes) on 17th October.

§ Sir W. Smithers
Is it not a fact that these requirements for advertising the Festival of Britain required about 1,600 tons of paper, which necessitated a reduction of 11 per cent. to the trade? Is the right hon. Gentleman also aware of the rising criticisms of this expenditure while the needs of the people are so acute?

§ Mr. Morrison
No, Sir. The hon. Member has his facts wrong.

§ 51. Captain Ryder
asked the Lord President of the Council what plans are being made for the use of the Festival of Britain buildings after the Festival has ended.

§ Mr. H. Morrison
A number of the Festival of Britain exhibitions and other events are being held in existing buildings. At South Kensington part of a new block is being built in time for the Science Exhibition. This new block, when completed, will afterwards form part of the Science Museum. The architecture and town planning exhibition at Poplar will consist mainly of blocks of flats, schools and other buildings erected by the local authorities for the permanent use of the neighbourhood. On the South Bank, apart from the L.C.C.'s Royal Festival Hall which is permanent, the remaining buildings will have to be removed after the Festival as the site is needed for other purposes. Some, including the main structure of the Dome of Discovery, are so designed that they can be dismantled and re-erected elsewhere. Certain of the structures in the Festival Pleasure Gardens, Battersea Park, will also be retained as permanent amenities.

§ Captain Ryder
What are the purposes for which the South Bank is to be used? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of considerable indignation at the fact that apparently only one of the buildings there is likely to be of a permanent nature?

§ Mr. Morrison
As to what the site is to be used for, that is not my business. That question should be addressed to another Minister.

§ Captain Ryder
Would it not be possible to adapt these buildings so that they could be used to relieve living accommodation in other parts of London?

§ Mr. Morrison
I should not have thought so.

§ Mr. Bossom
What will it cost to remove these buildings and make the site available for the purposes which the Minister has indicated?

§ Mr. Morrison
I could not say without notice. In any case it is a site which is inevitably one for commercial development.

§ Mr. Bossom
Could the Minister say whether the price of this demolition was included in the estimates he has given of the cost of constructing the buildings for the exhibition?

§ 52. Colonel Crosthwaite-Eyre
asked the Lord President of the Council why His Majesty's Government have given to a particular firm the responsibility for the allocation of all advertisement space in the official programmes to be produced for the Festival of Britain.

§ Mr. H. Morrison
The firm was selected after careful inquiry from among the very limited number possessing the necessary organisation for doing this work in the time available. It would not have been practicable to divide the work among several firms.

§ Colonel Crosthwaite-Eyre
One firm was probably the right solution, but I would ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is aware that one of the directors of this firm is the Chief Planning Officer of the Government? Does the right hon. Gentleman think it right for a contract of this nature to be given to a firm a director of which holds such a Government position?

§ Mr. Morrison
I did not know that but I know the Chief Planning Officer of the Government, and of all the men in the world I would acquit of any improper conduct it is the Chief Planning Officer of the Government.

§ Colonel Crosthwaite-Eyre
I agree with what the right hon. Gentleman has said about the person concerned, but that is not the point. It is whether it is right that a contract of this nature should be given to a firm one of the directors of which is a member of the Government in the sphere I have indicated.

§ Mr. Morrison
I cannot see that there is anything fatal about it. This happened to be the most appropriate firm. The choice is very limited, and had we denied ourselves the services of this firm we should have been in difficulties. I repeat, I am perfectly certain that the Chief Planning Officer of the Government is the last person in the world who would be capable of any improper conduct and unless the hon. and gallant Member can follow up these implications and innuendoes—

Hon. Members
Oh.