HL Deb 24 March 1971 vol 316 cc910-1

2.57 p.m.

LORD NUNBURNHOLME

My Lords, I beg leave 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 the design of the new British Library should not be submitted for competition among the architectural profession, in view of the fact that this building will be of national importance.]

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, as has already been announced, my right honourable friend has appointed Mr. Colin St. John Wilson to be the architect for this scheme. Mr. Wilson has been closely concerned with the project since 1962 when he and Sir Leslie Martin were appointed, after selective interview, for the design of the British Museum Library as then conceived. More recently, he has undertaken the feasibility studies from which has evolved the concept of building both the British Museum Library and the National Reference Library of Science and Invention on the Bloomsbury site. With the intimate knowledge of the Library functions he has acquired over this long period and his other known qualities, he was considered by my right honourable friend to be the best possible choice for the design of the new libraries.

LORD NUNBURNHOLME

My Lords, I appreciate the Answer given to my Question and I would not cast any aspersion on Mr. Wilson as the selected architect, but I should like—

LORD SHACKLETON

Ask a question.

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, if I may interrupt the noble Lord—

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, he is just asking a question.

LORD NUNBURNHOLME

My Lords, I should like to ask whether, in future, the design of buildings of this sort will be put out to competition among architects.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I think on very general principles the widest possible competition is sometimes acceptable, but where time is absolutely critical, as in this case, and where the knowledge of the gentleman, the architect concerned, is absolutely ideal, my right honourable friend, with the advice of my honourable friend the Paymaster General, thought that this was the obvious answer.

LORD STRABOLGI

While welcoming the appointment of Mr. St. John Wilson, may I ask the noble Lord whether he will convey to his right honourable friend the Paymaster General the great advantage of putting on public exhibition the plans and possibly a model of the new complex, so that the public can judge what the design will be when it is completed?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I am sure that my right honourable and noble friends will be delighted to do this and have every intention of doing so in due course.

LORD CONESFORD

My Lords, are Her Majesty's Government aware that among lovers of architecture, including the architectural profession, it is not at all accepted that a public competition is necessarily the best way of obtaining a satisfactory building in cases of this nature?

LORD PLATT

My Lords, when we were building the Royal College of Physicians I was very strongly advised against a competition.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I am grateful to both noble Lords for their comments.