§ 22. Sir Harmar Nichollsasked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will publish a detailed and illustrated account of the restoration of Downing Street when the work is completed.
§ Mr. RipponYes, Sir.
§ Sir C. OsborneWhat was the original estimated cost of restoring this street, what will be the actual cost, and why have the costs been so much greater than originally estimated?
§ Mr. RipponI congratulate my hon. Friend on the ingenuity with which he relates that supplementary question to the Question. The original cost envisaged in the Crawford Report was£400,000. A provisional estimate of£500,000 was made in June, 1959. I estimate that the final cost of the work will be somewhere between£900,000 and£1 million.
§ Mr. C. PannellIs this an example of selective tendering, or what?
§ Mr. RipponIt was a special form of contract designed for this particular purpose.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesIs the Minister aware that what we want to see, as regards No. 10 Downing Street, is a photograph of the next tenant?