HC Deb 15 February 1995 vol 254 cc994-5
17. Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make an official tour of County hall, London SE1.

Sir Paul Beresford

My right hon. Friend has recently visited County hall.

Mr. Banks

I urge the Minister and his colleagues to take a very close interest in what is occurring at County hall. It is becoming clear that neither the London residuary body nor the Secretary of State's predecessor, the present Home Secretary, studied the bid from the cowboy organisation, Shirayama. There is a scandal in the making at County hall. Ministers may not feel that they owe it to themselves to examine it closely and take direct action, but do they not owe it to the people of London to do so?

Sir Paul Beresford

I have considerable respect for the hon. Gentleman's interest in County hall because it was his political nursery. The preparatory work that is going on there is being watched and inspected carefully—particularly by English Heritage, which was there some two weeks ago.

Mr. Jacques Arnold

If the plans for County hall, involving a hotel complex and other such proposals, were not to go ahead, would my hon. Friend consider proposals to place the London School of Economics there? That would be far better than a bloated and expensive bureaucracy at the expense of people of Greater London, as proposed by the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks).

Sir Paul Beresford

There is no evidence of any need for that. I understand that the most recent comment by Mr. Shirayama, while viewing his earthquake-destroyed property, was that he was working on a property in London—County hall.