§ THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLANDrose "to call attention to the delay which his taken place in the erection of the new buildings at the British Museum; and to ask when the work will be resumed." The noble Duke said: My Lords, this question is one of rather a pressing character owing to the entire standstill of proceedings in connection with the new buildings at the British Museum. I will briefly narrate what has happened. As far back as 1903 the Board of Works had plans for this addition to the British Museum. After considerable delay the first contract was made in April, 1906. In April, 1907, the estimate was revised, and revised to such an extent that the original figure of £13,000 was advanced to £25,000. In June, 1907, the contracts were completed, and His Majesty the King laid the foundation-stone of the new extension. That was eighteen months ago, and from that day to this not one single thing has been done. The whole work is at a standstill, and repeated communications with the Board of Works from the trustees of the British Museum have, I will not say received no notice, but have led to no effective action being taken. The only thing that has been done—I refer to this for fear the noble Lord who will reply to me may mention it as if I had forgotten it—was in September last, when I believe some work was undertaken on the boiler house, which had absolutely nothing to do with the main extension. A promise was made that the work would be begun last September. That was to a certain extent retracted, because, when Sir William Bull, in the House of Commons, asked when any work would be done in this matter, it was then said it would 2298 be begun early in October. We are now at the end of December, but nothing has been done. Those are the facts concisely stated, and I have thought it my duty to put this Question in the hope that some acceleration of the business will take place, and that more energy will be shown in a work of such great public importance.
* LORD O'HAGANMy Lords, in answer to the noble Duke I should like to say that the First Commissioner of Works of course fully appreciates the great importance of this work and the attention it should deserve. He also sympathises with the Trustees in respect to the delay that has occurred. As, I think, the noble Duke is aware, the engineering requirements with regard to the completion of the building of this extension of the British Museum have offered some considerable difficulty. The delay which has occurred has been largely owing to the protracted negotiations which have taken place between the engineer and the architect, more especially with regard to these engineering requirements. These negotiations have been satisfactorily concluded, detailed plans have been drawn up, and the various specifications have been made. The Board of Works have received a number of tenders, which are at present under consideration. I cannot state the exact date on which the building will be commenced, but the First Commissioner expects to come to a decision on those tenders in the course of a very few days. As soon as that decision has been arrived at the buildings will be proceeded with as soon as possible.
§ THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLANDAm I to understand that, when the First Commissioner of Works stated that the work would be begun last October, he had not actually got the tenders out?
* LORD O'HAGANI am afraid I can not answer that question. He quite understood that the work would be begun at that time.