§ 26 and 30. Mr. Liptonasked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether, for reasons of economy, he will reduce the number of Army barracks in the West End of London;
(2) whether, in order to improve the appearance of the southern boundary of Hyde Park, he will arrange for the demolition of Knightsbridge Barracks.
§ Mr. HareBarracks in central London are provided only for troops who are employed in central London and must be near to their work. Much of the accommodation, including Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, is out of date, and plans to replace some of it are already going ahead. I have the problem of Hyde Park Barracks very much in mind but I cannot say anything about its future at this stage.
§ Mr. LiptonDoes the Minister's Answer mean that what appears to be a rather excessive number of barracks in the West End of London is to be reduced? Has he come to the conclusion that it is not really necessary to have the Wellington, Chelsea and Knightsbridge barracks and those at Regent's Park? Could we not do without one or two of them?
§ Mr. HareAs I have told the hon. Gentleman, I am studying the matter. What I am convinced about is that most of the barracks accommodation in central London is very much out of date.