§ 39. Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Lord President of the Council if he has any plans to seek to widen the use made of Westminster Hall; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WakehamNo, Sir. Any proposal to widen the use of Westminster Hall would require the agreement of the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Lord Chancellor and Mr. Speaker, in whom responsibility is vested for the use to which the Hall may be put.
§ Mr. GreenwayDoes my right hon. Friend agree that it is wrong for the large and spacious Westminster Hall to be unused for such long periods? Will he get together with the parties to whom he has referred and consider whether a swimming pool can be put in there to improve the fitness of Members—and perhaps a few could be thrown in at the deep end?
§ Mr. WakehamI cannot agree with my hon. Friend. In fact, I do not think that I can better the answer that was given by my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Shropshire, North (Mr. Biffen), who said:
I think that one of the great attractions of Westminster hall is how little it is used."—[Official Report, 19 February 1987; Vol. 110, c. 1082.]