HC Deb 28 July 1971 vol 822 cc570-1
35. Mr. Spence

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is ready to announce the cleaning of further public buildings in London.

18. Mr. Iremonger

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to clean the classical facades in Horse Guards Parade and St. James's Park.

Mr. Amery

I have arranged for the cleaning of the facades looking on to Horse Guards Parade. This will be followed by completion of the cleaning of the facades overlooking St. James's Park.

My immediate programme in London also includes further work on Buckingham Palace, cleaning the rest of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office, the former Ministry of Housing and Local Government office facade in Whitehall, the Government buildings overlooking Great George Street, the rest of the old War Office building, the Tower of London, the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and Burlington House.

Mr. Spence

I thank my right hon. Friend for that excellent list, and I ask him to say whether it represents an improvement on the past. Second, will he accept that there is such an improvement to be gained by the urban environment from the cleaning of public buildings that he should set himself a time target to clean the lot within the next year or two?

Mr. Amery

We have set ourselves a timetable of about 18 months. The effort represents four times the expenditure previously incurred.

Mr. John Silkin

Will the Minister consider either cleaning Richmond Terrace and New Scotland Yard or pulling them down?

Mr. Amery

The right hon. Gentleman anticipates my right hon. Friend's statement on the Willis Report.

Sir J. Rodgers

Is there any chance of this building in which we are sitting today being cleaned in the near future?

Mr. Amery

There are particular problems associated with the Palace of Westminster. I am having an experimental feasibility study made, and the first report will be available in the autumn.