§ VISCOUNT BRIDGEMANMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider bringing home the statues of General Gordon and Lord Kitchener now in temporary storage at Khartoum so that they may be re-erected on suitable sites in the United Kingdom.]
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government have made arrangements to bring these statues to this country. Since this decision was announced various suggestions have been made for the siting of the statues, and these have been carefully considered, As a result, Her Majesty's Government have come to the conclusion that the most suitable solution would be for the statues to be offered to two of the bodies which have made definite application for them and have offered to meet the cost of transporting the statues from the port of landing and of re-erecting them. Her Majesty's Government propose to offer the statue of General Gordon to the Gordon Boys' School at Woking, and the statue of Lord Kitchener to the School of Military Engineers at Chatham.
§ VISCOUNT CUNNINGHAM OF HYNDHOPEMy Lords, may I express to the noble Lord the great satisfaction with which those responsible for the Gordon Boys' School will have heard the decision of Her Majesty's Government.
§ VISCOUNT BRIDGEMANMy Lords, may I associate myself with the remarks which my noble and gallant friend has just made with regard to the Gordon Boys' Home, and also with regard to the School of Military Engineering?
§ LORD KILLEARNMy Lords, may I, as an old resident of Egypt, with some association with the Sudan and the traditions left by these two great men, express satisfaction that the statues are to be brought home and treated in a manner consonant with their national dignity and service.
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lords for what they have said.