§ 16. Mr. Anthony Greenwoodasked the Minister of Works why no seats to view the Coronation procession were made available for Mr. and Mrs. James Wood-bridge, whose son, Flight Sergeant Stanley Woodbridge, was posthumously awarded the George Cross after being tortured and killed by the Japanese.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe facilities reserved for holders of the Victoria Cross, the George Cross, the Albert Medal in Gold and the Edward Medal in Silver consisted of free chairs on pavements outside Buckingham Palace. Each living holder of these decorations who applied was given a chair for himself and one for a relative or friend. Lack of space made it impossible to give chairs to the relatives of those who were posthumously awarded these decorations, or died since the award.
§ Mr. GreenwoodCan the right hon. Gentleman say how many seats would have been involved if this rather generous gesture had been made? Does not he think that it is regrettable that a jarring note was introduced by the fact that seats for Mr. and Mrs. Woodbridge had to be provided by a Sunday newspaper when representatives of Japan were in the Abbey itself?
§ Sir D. EcclesI appreciate the point. We did make available 686 chairs against only 14 in 1937. It was very difficult to know where to distinguish between one class and another.