§ 3.38 p.m.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (LORD SHACKLETON)My Lords, with permission I should like to repeat a Statement which has been made in another place by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister on the extension of the Tate Gallery. The Statement is as follows: "The House will recall that earlier this year the Tate Trustees presented their proposals for a substantial expansion of the Gallery on its existing site. Because of the limited amount of land available they proposed to develop the vacant North-West corner of the site and also to build across the front of the Gallery. The scheme which was drawn up by the architects provided a skilful solution to the problem, but it would have involved the demolition of the portico and the steps. As the House knows, there were sharply divided reactions to this proposal.
"The Government fully accept that the Gallery urgently needs additional space for its growing collection so that more pictures and sculpture can be displayed and supporting facilities and amenities improved. We therefore decided, as I told the House in reply to Questions on February 20, to examine afresh the possibilities of making available to the Trustees some of 920 the adjacent land occupied by the Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital and associated buildings.
A further review of military hospital requirements in London and the home counties has now been completed. It has long been recognised that the Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital and the Royal Herbert Hospital at Woolwich must either be modernised or rebuilt. We have decided to build on Army land at Woolwich a new 500-bed hospital to replace both these hospitals."—
And I am sure that the Army will appreciate the advantages to be gained from this new hospital.—
"The Royal Army Medical Corps will have the facilities there to maintain the high reputation it has already achieved at Millbank.
"This decision enables the Government to make available to the Trustees the site occupied by the hospital at Millbank. This should meet the requirements of the Gallery for a long time to come. It will also enable the Trustees to realise their aim to display their Collection of Modern Art in modern galleries.
"The way is now clear for the Trustees to draw up revised plans to develop the North-West corner of the present site, and the Government are prepared for building to start as soon as the Trustees are ready. The construction of the new military hospital is of course a major undertaking, but we expect the Millbank site to be available by 1975. Planning for the new gallery and hospital can start at once.
"Two very generous gifts are being made which are linked with the new building on the hospital site. As is already known, Mr. Henry Moore is presenting a large collection of his sculpture to the Nation, subject only to one condition about provision of additional gallery space. The second gift I am happy to announce this afternoon. To mark the centenary of the birth of their founder, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation have just decided to give the sum of a quarter of a million pounds to the Tate for the construction of a gallery which will house temporary exhibitions and will bear their founder's name. This is 921 the largest single grant that has ever been made by the Foundation in the United Kingdom."
§ LORD NUGENT OF GUILDFORDMy Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for repeating the Statement in this House and, from these Benches, welcome its contents. I would also express the appreciation of noble Lords on these Benches at the generosity of Henry Moore and the Gulbenkian Foundation for the splendid gifts which they are making to the Tate Trustees. May I say for myself how glad I am that the old portico will remain? It is a familiar sight to most of us, and one that we are all glad to see.
There are two questions that I should like to put to the noble Lord. As the new gallery on the Millbank site obviously cannot be ready for occupation for a period that will be nearer ten than five years, are the Trustees of the Tate Gallery happy about being able to manage with the extension on the South-West corner of the present site for that length of time? Secondly, as plans are to start immediately for the construction of the new modern gallery on the Millbank site, will the noble Lord make sure that these incorporate adjunctions designed to make an art gallery as enjoyable as possible—for instance, modern "walkie-talkie" apparatus, with lectures by experts explaining what some of the more obtruse objects mean, as well as more physical adjuncts, such as a modern restaurant and so on?
§ LORD AMULREEMy Lords, I also should like to thank the noble Lord for repeating the Statement: it provides a very satisfactory solution to the various problems. I have no particular affection for the portico and the steps, but my objection to the plan as originally proposed was that, supposing they had been removed, I did not think the proposed building would have made a very satisfactory picture gallery. There are one or two questions that I should like to put to the noble Lord. What is to become of the Royal Army Medical Corps College on the other side of the Tate Gallery site? Will that be removed to Woolwich, too, or will it remain where it is?
I agree with what was said by the noble Lord, Lord Nugent of Guildford, but I trust that when the new gallery is planned and designed we shall take a lesson 922 from the Hayward Gallery, on the South Bank, which has not been very satisfactory from the point of view of showing pictures—I am not talking about the outside of the building. Finally, does the Statement mean that the gift from Henry Moore will be kept in a gallery, or will some of the sculpture be left in the open air where I think it would gain an enormous amount? If Mr. Moore does not insist on its all being in a closed gallery, I should like to see some of it in the open air, where it would look extremely fine.. That is all I have to say, my Lords. I should like to thank the noble Lord for the Statement, and I am pleased that the Government have taken this line.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lords who have spoken. I was certain that this was one Statement that would give general satisfaction, and noble Lords have been generous in their recognition of this. In the light of the criticism of the earlier scheme I should like first to say that I am sure there is one noble Lord in your Lordships' House who will be delighted, and that is the noble Lord, Lord Llewelyn-Davies. He did a most skilful and difficult job. It gave rise to a great deal of controversy, but in the circumstances much of the congratulations should go to him for working out a plan, and for the fact that we have now something which provides much greater opportunity and about which I know he will be very pleased.
Regarding the questions which I have been asked, would say first, to the noble Lord, Lord Nugent of Guildford, that I hope very much that the period before occupation will be nearer five years than ten. It is a very important matter, and there is no doubt about the Government's determination to press on. The timing obviously depends on the move of the Queen Alexandra Hospital and the clearing of that site. This must be completed, and a new hospital must he built and ready for occupation. Perhaps I should say a word of sympathy, particularly, to noble Lords who have been in the Army and who are probably regretting the disappearance of thou old Millbank Hospital. But I am sure that, on balance, it was the right thing to do. It must have been quite a wrench for the 923 Army, but none the less I think the decision was entirely right. With regard to the Royal Army Medical College, the present intention is that for the time being it should remain where it is. I will not underestimate the problem that is posed for that admirable and very distinguished body, the R.A.M.C., by separation from the hospital, but for the present that is the intention.
The other questions that were put to me are, I think, questions which the Trustees should answer, and I do not doubt that they will note what noble Lords have said. I am certain that the opportunity which this gives to the Trustee is a very great one, and I have no doubt that they will make the utmost use of it.
§ VISCOUNT MONCKTON OF BRENCHLEYMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord exactly when the new hospital at Woolwich is going to be available for soldiers? Does it mean that the Woolwich Hospital itself must be pulled down? And where will there be medical facilities during the intervening period after the hospital has left Mill-bank? I do not think that soldiers mind leaving old traditions, but they do want their sick and wounded looked after properly, and near London where specialists are available.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, let us hope that there will not be many wounded. I fully accept the need of the Services for continuing medical facilities of their own. I do not know Millbank myself; I know the R.A.F. hospital at Halton and how admirable it is, and I have no doubt that Millbank has a very great reputation. It is hoped that the new hospital, which is to be built on the site of Shrapnel Barracks, will be complete by 1975. Obviously, the phasing will be designed to ensure that the Army is at no time without the medical facilities and the hospital beds it needs.