1. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Public Building and Works when suitable arrangements will be made for displaying the Crown Jewels so that visitors can see them without the necessity for long queueing to the disappointment of tourists.
§ 6. Mr. Parkerasked the Minister of Public Building and Works when he proposes to start work on an underground building at Tower Green for better display of the Crown Jewels.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Public Building and Works (Mr. Richard Sharples)My right hon. Friend is examining the schemes which have been prepared for a new Jewel House and will make a statement as soon as he can.
Mr. Gresham CookeWill my hon. Friend inform his right hon. Friend that a foreign visitor who stayed in my house queued for over an hour to see the jewels? Is my hon. Friend further aware that parties of Women's Institutes coming to London do not think it is worth going to the Tower to see the jewels for this reason? Would it not be better to display the jewels in a larger underground room so that more people could see them at a time than is possible at present in the very narrow place in which they are on show?
§ Mr. SharplesMy right hon. Friend appreciates the difficulties which visitors have in trying to see the regalia, and he will do everything he can to provide better facilities as soon as that is possible, but I think that my hon. Friend would agree that it is not an easy matter to design and construct new accommodation which will be absolutely secure and, at the same time, display the regalia to more visitors.