THE EARL OF MILLTOWNasked Her Majesty's Government, Why the electric light, which has long since been successfully introduced into the House of Commons, has not been introduced into this House, and whether it is intended so to introduce it; and, if so, when? He had to complain that a Vote had been granted for the purpose of introducing the electric light into both Houses; but, while the House of Commons had taken care of themselves, the House of Lords was left with an illuminant which had almost gone out of fashion for public buildings.
§ LORD SUDELEYMy Lords, in reply to the noble Earl, I have to state that the First Commissioner of Works has the whole question of lighting in the Houses of Parliament with the electric light now under consideration. Plans and estimates are being made out, and it is intended, if possible, to light 1468 up with the electric light, not only the Library, Corridors, and Lobbies, as has been done in connection with the House of Commons, but also, in this case, to light up the interior of the House of Lords itself. The noble Earl has referred to the fact that last year a small Vote was taken to light up the Library. This was undoubtedly true; but when the First Commissioner came to go further into the matter, he found that, owing to the very short time your Lordships sit in the evening, it would be most uneconomical to light up only so small an area, and that it would be better to wait until it would be possible to light up all the Lobbies and the House itself as well as the Library.
§ LORD SUDELEYI endeavoured to explain that there will be no difficulty when it is found possible to light up the whole area, and not only a limited section such as the Library.