HC Deb 25 July 1966 vol 732 cc1193-4
21. Mr. Tilney

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will provide funds for the cleaning of the outside of the British Museum.

Mr. Prentice

Not at present, but if a suitable opportunity arises I will consider this, in consultation with the Trustees of the British Museum.

Mr. Tilney

Now that we want to attract more foreigners to spend their holidays in Britain and now that fewer Britons can go abroad, does not the Minister agree that the outside of this museum looks very dowdy and depressing? Cannot London copy Liverpool in cleaning its beautiful buildings?

Mr. Prentice

Yes. I have some sympathy with this view. At the moment we are cleaning some Government buildings using a new technique by blasting with soft grit. [Laughter.] I do not know what is funny about that. In the light o' the results of this work and public reaction to it, and taking costs into account, I hope to review the whole policy of cleaning public buildings. I have a lot of sympathy with the view that we ought to do more if and when our resources allow.