HC Deb 14 May 1968 vol 764 cc1030-2
Q2. Mr. Tilney

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider erecting, at public expense, a statue in Parliament Square of the late Sir Winston Churchill to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Sir Winston's first Parliamentary contest.

The Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, these are matters in which the House prefers to move by agreement, and I am sure we are all grateful to the hon. Member for giving us this opportunity to see whether there is broad public support for his proposal. Were this to prove the case, the Government would be prepared to enter into consultations with the opposition parties and my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House would be available for discussions through the usual channels. I could not, of course, in advance of any specific proposal give, nor would the House expect me to give, any undertaking about finance.

Mr. Tilney

While thanking the Prime Minister for that reply, may I ask him to bear in mind that there is no statue in the centre of London, available to be seen by the public at all times, of perhaps the greatest leader of this nation and the greatest Parliamentarian for centuries? Could such a statue be put up while those of us who remember and were inspired by his speeches are still alive?

The Prime Minister

What I have said is that the hon. Gentleman's Question provides a valuable opportunity to gauge public support for this. As the right hon. Gentlemen the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Party know, we would be ready to enter into discussions in the light of such public demand.

Mr. Shinwell

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the House has already agreed that a memorial should be erected to the late Sir Winston Churchill on a plinth outside the Chamber? Ought we not to wait until that project has been completed before considering any further projects?

The Prime Minister

That is the decision of this House. The hon. Gentleman, as I understand his suggestion, wants a public statue outside to be seen by passers-by as well as those who come into this House. In my original Answer, I said what I thought the attitude of the Government would and should be.

Mr. Emrys Hughes

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that there are already too many ugly statues about in the centre of London, that the pigeons treat them with great irreverence and that in any case another statue or memorial to Sir Winston Churchill is absolutely unnecessary because nobody can forget him?

The Prime Minister

The last few words of my hon. Friend will be echoed in all parts of the House. On the earlier part of his supplementary question, it would probably be felt, if not by this age then by succeeding ages, that the proliferation of statues of varying aesthetic quality in the capital perhaps pays an undue proportion of tribute to the lesser known figures of the 19th century compared with the tributes paid to those of the 20th century.

Mr. Heath

Is the Prime Minister aware that we should be willing to enter into discussions with him in the circumstances which he has described, but has he in mind any particular ways of ascertaining the public view about this matter?

The Prime Minister

I think that this is a matter which we could discuss with the right hon. Gentleman; and the views of hon. Members in all parts of the House, made available through the usual channels, would be of very keen importance in such a decision.