§ LORD LAMINGTONasked Her Majesty's Government, now that the Preamble of the Parks Bill had not been proved, what course they intended to take respecting the improvement of Parliament Street? He hoped the Government would inform the House whether they proposed to take any action in the matter, or whether they had decided to wait for some private Company to come forward and carry out a great Metropolitan improvement.
§ LORD SUDELEYIn reply to the noble Lord, I have to say that since the Preamble of the Parks Bill was thrown out, sufficient time has not elapsed to enable the Government to come to any decision as to what further steps should be taken in order to have the widening of Parliament Street carried out. It is perfectly clear that it is an improvement which must be made sooner or later; but while the Government are willing to afford every facility, and will take care that for the present none of their land on the Great George Street site is disposed of facing the street, they look upon it as purely of the nature of a Metropolitan improvement. Last autumn the First Commissioner of Works endeavoured to persuade the Metropolitan Board of Works to undertake the duty, and on behalf of the Government offered every facility for the sale of land on the Great George Street site, so that by setting back the street and obtaining new frontages the outlay would be recouped. The Metropolitan Board of Works did not then see their way to carry out the proposal; but it is possible they may now reconsider it. The noble Lord has made some very sarcastic remarks to the effect that the Office of Works were doing absolutely nothing. He must, I think, have forgotten the considerable improvements which have been already carried out, and the fact that the new War Office and new Admiralty are about to be erected. The nine competitors, whose plans were selected out of those of 129 competitors, have sent in their detailed 1062 plans for final competition; and it is hoped that before very long a commencement will be made in the erection of these buildings. The noble Lord must remember that he was Chairman of a Committee on this subject some years ago, and that after sitting some time, so great were their difficulties that they were unable to make any definite recommendation, and very little was carried out for four or five years afterwards. As regards Westminster Hall, the First Commissioner has already obtained the plans from the architect he consulted; and he hopes to make a statement on the subject before the close of the Session.