The Chamber: Ceiling Repairs (Hansard, 27 June 1984)

§ Baroness Sharples
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I am happy to tell the House that the restoration of the ceiling of this Chamber has progressed according to plan during the last year and is now nearing completion. Work to refix the original painted panels and timber carvings, and to redecorate the ceiling should be completed next month. All that then remains to be done is the cleaning and restoring of the painted stone wall arches and the removal of the scaffolding deck. This will take place during the Summer Recess. By the time the House returns in the autumn, the ceiling should be visible in all its former glory. May I take this opportunity to thank noble Lords for their patience and understanding throughout this project.

§ Baroness Sharples
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. Can he confirm that the final cost will be within the budget mentioned three years ago? Will he please also convey to all those who worked on the ceiling—and I saw it last week—our congratulations? Can he also please comment on the problems of the new gilding of the ceiling, which I understand will be dulled down as much as possible because of the contrast between the ceiling and the Throne in your Lordships' Chamber?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I, too, should like to pay tribute to the Property Services Agency and to the firms involved in the work. The work should be 911 finished in complete accordance with the timetable we were given three years ago, and well within the original estimate of cost. In fact, I understand that the cost will be slightly less than £1½ million. As far as concerns other decoration that may be required, I realise that the redecoration of the ceiling may highlight the need to redecorate some or all of the remainder of the Chamber. This will be undertaken as and when resources and time permit, but a refurbishment of the Throne canopy is to be put in hand shortly.

§ Lord Mowbray and Stourton
My Lords, is it not the Magna Carta barons up there above the Gallery, nearest to the ceiling, who will be most in need of refurbishment? Otherwise, the dullness of their gilt will contrast rather starkly with the brightness of the new gilt, I would imagine.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, it is certainly intended to wash the Magna Carta barons at both ends of the Chamber so that the gilt will become more obvious, but it is not intended at this moment to regild those particular statues where the gilt exists on, for example, the belt buttons.

§ Baroness Elliot of Harwood
My Lords, may I add my congratulations to those working on the ceiling on the fact that it is about to be successfully completed? May I ask what has happened about the air-conditioning, and whether that will be put in before the ceiling is finished or whether it will have to wait until the ceiling is finished? I understand that the air-conditioning is not functioning.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, that is a slightly different question. I am glad to say that the position is temporary. The London Electricity Board has suffered a major transformer failure on the Charing Cross supply to the Palace of Westminster. Repairs will take approximately one week, and normal supplies to the Palace will not be restored before 3rd July. The House is being supplied with electricity from the Property Services Agency's standby power station in Whitehall. Until supplies are back to normal, provision of cooling will not be possible in the Chamber, but ventilation will still be available. In order to tie this answer in with my previous answers, perhaps I should say that it will not unduly affect the work on the ceiling. I agree with my noble friend that the work on the ceiling has had a very satisfactory outcome.

§ Lord Scarman
My Lords, is not the real importance that the ceiling should not fall down on the Cross-Benches?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, the real importance is that the ceiling should not fall down anywhere. I agree with the noble and learned Lord.

§ Lord John-Mackie
My Lords. arising out of the question of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Scarman, may I ask whether it would not be a nice gesture for the survivor of the knob which fell down that in October there should be a celebration at the same time as the ceiling is unveiled?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I understand that discussions on a small celebration for the reopening of the ceiling are happening at the moment, and I have no doubt that at some stage there will be an announcement on the subject from the Woolsack. I also bear in mind the magic date of 18th October.

§ Lord Leatherland
My Lords, can the Minister assure me that these heavy steel bars and tubes above my head are safely fixed in their place?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, yes. They are very well fixed in their place, and my understanding is that they will remain so.

Lord Morris
My Lords, might I ask my noble friend whether the ceiling in the Peers' Lobby will be completed at the same time as the ceiling in the Chamber?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, no. Regretfully there are great problems in the Peers' Lobby. Additional loading has been placed upon the supporting cast-iron beams, which is causing great concern. As your Lordships will have noticed, a protective scaffolding and platform have been erected, and work above the platform should start this summer. I am afraid that I cannot give the House any information as to how long it might take.