§ 3. Mr. Newensasked the Minister of Public Building and Works what steps are being taken by his Department to protect buildings and the remains of buildings important during the Industrial Revolution.
§ Mr. BoydenMy right hon. Friend has already scheduled a number of monuments of this kind as ancient monuments, and has also given grants in aid of preservation in suitable cases. We are at present engaged in formulating a definite policy which will be designed to deal with the special problems and difficulties of "industrial monuments".
§ Mr. NewensIs my hon. Friend satisfied that only a small proportion of the total moneys at present devoted to the preservation of historic buildings is devoted to buildings of the sort to which my Question refers. Does he realise that as a result of this many sites and buildings important in the Industrial Revolution will disappear without hope of trace or restoration although they are unique monuments in the process of industrialisation not only in this country but throughout the world?
§ Mr. BoydenWe are very conscious of the need to improve the method of dealing with this problem. But I would point out this particular difficulty. Industrial monuments invariably are associated with manufacturing industry, or something of that sort, and progressive industry wants to get rid of old machines and things of that description in order to modernise. This is, therefore, a special difficulty which wants looking at rather carefully.
§ Mr. HamlingDoes not my hon. Friend agree that the export drive would be expedited if some of these ruins were knocked about a bit?
§ Mr. BoydenI do not think that that is particularly helpful. I have been criticised in the House for sponsoring the case of industrial monuments. One of the difficulties is that we need a good deal of support from industry itself as to the particular historical importance of things with which they are concerned, and I hope that we shall be able to get this.