HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICES. (Hansard, 1 December 1936)

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF ONSLOW)
My Lords, I beg to move that this Report be now considered and agreed to. In doing so I would like to draw your Lordships' attention to one or two points because they are of considerable importance. The first paragraph in the Report, dealing with refreshment rooms, explains 516 that a new access will be made from the lobby downstairs straight on to the Terrace. I think on the whole that is an improvement. The reason for it is that the present House of Commons desire accommodation increasing in the Harcourt Room. They want to push it a little westwards and to open that room out, thereby taking up the present entrance to the Terrace. The lobby from which it is proposed to lead the passage on to the Terrace is a dark place now used for storage by the librarian and, very occasionally, as a sitting room by the doorkeepers. Everybody who is interested in the librarian and the doorkeepers is quite agreed that this improvement should take place.
The next point is the question of lavatory accommodation. If your Lordships will look at the Report you will see that it is proposed to construct an annexe of two storeys in the boilerhouse court, the rooms at present occupied by the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition being absorbed into the annexe. This is in order to provide proper accommodation for the Leaders of the Parties. I do not think this will destroy the architectural features of the House in any way; in fact I think it will be an improvement. Your Lordships who have been in office will know of the great inconvenience there is in not having adequate room for the Leader of the House to work in if he has to be in the House. He has either to go into the library, where he cannot see people from the Departments, or work at a table outside, which is very inconvenient because if he is called away he must either leave his papers lying about or push them into a drawer. We cannot provide for every Minister individually as in the House of Commons, but at any rate it is hoped that we shall be able to provide two or three rooms giving sufficient accommodation for Ministers if they want to do work here. I also hope, although I am not quite certain, that there will be a room where Peers who are not Ministers will be able to see people in private. At the present moment, facilities for interviews in your Lordships' House are very curtailed.
There will also be room for a new and convenient lavatory. Your Lordships are fully aware that accommodation in this 517 respect is very curtailed. I do not think there has been any change or any addition to it except, possibly, for the addition of hot water since the House was built. It is very important that improvement should be made, as there have been many complaints about the accommodation. The Office of Works have agreed to the scheme and are prepared to carry it out. There will be a reconditioning of lavatory accommodation right through, there will be hot water provided to all rooms on that side of the House, and the whole accommodation will be brought up to date. It is also intended to construct a lavatory on the Committee Room floor where at present there is no such accommodation. The only other point I need refer to is No. 5. The celebrated portrait of the Death of Chatham lent by the National Portrait Gallery, which has hung in the Royal Gallery, has been lent for exhibition in America. Its removal, however, will only be temporary and it will be returned, I think, before the reassembly in the New Year. I beg to move that the Report be agreed to.

§ THE MARQUESS OF ZETLAND
My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing on the Paper in my name.

§ THE, MARQUESS OF ZETLAND
My Lords, I beg to move the second Motion standing on the Paper in my name.