§ The Minister of Works (Sir David Eccles)With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I desire to make a statement about the memorial statue to His late Majesty King George VI.
As the House knows, it was decided that part of the King George VI National Memorial Fund should be devoted to the erection of a statue in a noble setting in London. A committee of the Memorial Fund under the chairmanship of Sir Leslie Boyce, then Lord Mayor of London, appointed Mr. William McMillan as the sculptor, and Mr. Louis de Soissons as the architect. A site was chosen between Nos. 2 and 3, Carlton Gardens overlooking the Mall, and the Commissioners of Crown Lands are willing to make land available. The plan provides for a staircase leading down from the Gardens to the Mall and for the statue to be sited at the top of the stairs looking out over St. James's Park. Her Majesty the Queen has graciously approved the scheme. The Memorial Fund is hopeful that the statue can be unveiled towards the end of next year.