HL Deb 07 February 1951 vol 170 cc205-9

2.39 p.m.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF DROGHEDA)

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be read a second time.

Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.— (The Earl of Drogheda.)

LORD AMMON

My Lords, may I crave your Lordships' indulgence for a few moments? I feel it would be most unfitting that so important a link with the Victorian era and an institution that has played a large part in the life of this country should, as it were, pass out of its present form of existence without any acknowledgment or recognition of the part that it has played and the part that one hopes it is destined to play under the proposals in the Bill of which the noble Earl has just moved the Second Reading. By a curious turn of events, it so happens that almost to this very day the first Crystal Palace was opened in Hyde Park. This is a small extract from The Times of February 4, 1851: Yesterday was the last day of public admission to the Crystal Palace previous to its preparation for the Exhibition. In consequence an immense concourse of visitors set in upon it from an early hour and a train of carriages was in attendance such as would have done honour to a Jenny Lind night at the Opera. So history is repeating itself to-day. We also are making preparations in almost similar circumstances, after a time of war when we are endeavouring to get back to normal conditions. As they were planning one hundred years ago, so we are planning our Festival and putting our wares before the world.

It is important that this institution, which, in the words of The Times, has held a high place in the esteem of the capital, should receive some attention when we are considering the Bill which is now before us. The Crystal Palace has gone through four phases. The first was when it was built in Hyde Park. Later it was removed under the energy and influence of the Prince Consort to the heights of Sydenham and opened on October 5, 1854, by the Prince Consort, who was accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Victoria. There, I think, was shown a greater imagination and spirit of adventure than we seem to be showing in the launching of our Festival on this occasion. The Crystal Palace has played a large part in the history and in the interest of your Lordships' House. Many distinguished members have been directors of the organisation, and I suppose that in the memories of the elder members in this House and in another place the Crystal Palace ranks highly, because in earlier days there was no rival such as Olympia and Earls Court, and it was the only large place where people could assemble. Great conceits were held under the direction of Augustus Manns, and famous Handel Festivals took place there in which Madame Albani and Sir Charles Santley were leading artistes. That was the first phase, and it continued until the great fire of December, 1936, when the Crystal Palace was burned down.

It was during this earlier period that financial difficulties were encountered and the Crystal Palace fell into the hands of the Receivers. In 1914 the Government felt that something should be done to save it and it became national property, under the control and direction of a Board of Trustees. I said just now that many eminent members of your Lordships' House had played a part in its history. Perhaps the largest part was played by the late Lord Plymouth. He put down a cheque for £230,000 in order to meet the claims of the first debenture holders, and later, after the then Lord Mayor had made a national appeal which fell £30,000 short of the target, he contributed that amount in order to clear the claims. Among other trustees were the late Sir Richard Burbidge, who also contributed £30,000, and the late Lord Hailsham who died quite recently and who, from the time he was Lord Chancellor until a short while before his death, remained one of the trustees. Lord Luke is another, and the Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair is the only survivor of the original trustees who were appointed in 1914. So your Lordships' House has a very great and lively interest in this matter. One might also mention Lord Rochester, and others of your Lordships' House who are trustees to this day. There have been four chairmen of trustees, three of whom have been Lord Mayors of London, and I happen to have been the fourth and, possibly, the last chairman.

That brings me to the fourth and last stage, and I must say that it is with very mixed feelings that I bring before your Lordships, without reservation, the joint proposals of the Crystal Palace Trustees and the London County Council. I do so with feelings of regret, for I feel that the Government have missed a tremendous opportunity in not staging the Festival of Britain at the Crystal Palace, where there are 200 acres of ground which is already cleared and provided with all the requisite services. The site is easy of access, and the terrible traffic problem would have been reduced to a minimum because there is ample parking space there, to say nothing of an unrivalled panorama of the whole of London from Crystal Palace Parade. However, that opportunity has gone. I pressed it as much as I could, again and again, and that appeal was backed by The Times, but unfortunately we lost a great champion when Lord Keynes passed away. It is no good bemoaning the fact that our proposal was not adopted. The matter is settled and we have, as best we can, to endeavour to make a success of the Festival of Britain. Accordingly, when the London County Council invited me first, as an individual, to discuss with them informally the possibilities of transferring the trusteeship to them, I readily agreed to do so. After discussion, and realising that it would be impossible for me to give consent or for us to proceed further on our own, I strongly recommended my fellow trustees to enter the discussions. Incidentally, the presence of my noble friend Lord Stansgate reminds me that his father was one of the original trustees of the Crystal Palace.

That, then, is the position, and the Bill which is now brought before us has been agreed to by both sides to the contract. Care has been taken to see that the original intention when the Crystal Palace was launched shall be carried out to the full—namely, that it shall be used for the benefit of the people and for the purposes of industry, commerce and art. Recently we had an interesting conflict with the Ministry of Town and Country Planning, who wished to impose upon us development charges. We fought them in the High Court and won our action with costs.

The other point I wish to make now is that when the Crystal Palace was passed to the trustees in 1914 they inherited nothing but debts, and £230,000 had to be raised and paid over. Those debts have been cleared. Certain sums of money were contributed by local authorities, and the Bill makes provision that those monies shall be returned to those authorities. This is not some bankrupt concern that we are trying to pass on. In 1914 Sir Henry Buckland was appointed as manager, and he is manager now, and by his business genius he turned the Crystal Palace into a paying concern. I think it is to the credit of those who took over then that we are handing over something of the order of £300,000 as well as the property. Therefore it cannot be said that we are seeking to unload something which is nothing but a burden.

The London County Council are now going to take over the Crystal Palace. So it enters upon a fourth phase in its history and, as in the past, your Lordships will have a share and a responsibility in it. I am sure your Lordships will wish that in this phase the Crystal Palace shall be of even greater glory, greater benefit, and greater advantage to the community than it has been in the past. I think some word of appreciation should be publicly expressed to the trustees for all that they have done over all these years without fee or reward, but merely out of a sense of public duty. The trustees are handing over the Crystal Palace in good order, so far as the ravages of fire have left it (for which they have no responsibility), and furthermore are handing over the insurance money and other assets arising from it. That, then, is the discharge of our trust. I submit it to you and hope that the Bill will be accorded a speedy passage through the House.

On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed.