HC Deb 31 January 1966 vol 723 cc665-6
19. Mr. Shinwell

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what progress has been made with the arrangements for a memorial to the late Sir Winston Churchill within the Palace of Westminster.

Mr. C. Pannell

The Committee appointed to advise on the memorial, of which my right hon. Friend was Chairman, has recommended that the memorial should take the form of a statue in bronze on the vacant plinth by the Churchill Arch in the Members' Lobby, and that the sculptor should be Mr. Oscar Nemon.

The Government have accepted these recommendations.

I should like to take this opportunity of thanking the Committee and my right hon. Friend for the care and speed with which it has carried out its task.

Mr. Shinwell

May we assume that the arrangements for the letter racks in the Members' Lobby satisfy the officials who have to operate them? Secondly, can my right hon. Friend say whether the suggestion that was made in the course of the Committee's proceedings that some facilities should be provided in the House for a Churchill Room are now under consideration?

Mr. Pannell

Taking the latter part of the question, that has been referred to the special Committee that now looks after these matters in the House. It would be for it to look into that. On my right hon. Friend's earlier point about the letter racks, I have looked into this myself. It is proposed to divide the letter racks in the Members' Lobby to get them away from the plinth and so allow an unrestricted view of the statue. We are keeping this very much under consideration.

Mr. A. Royle

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell the House what the cost of the statue will be?

Mr. Pannell

I am not in a position to say that at the moment.