HL Deb 16 July 1998 vol 592 cc378-80

3.17 p.m.

Lord Blaker asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they expect a decision to be taken on the proposal to develop Kensington Gardens as a memorial to the late Diana, Princess of Wales and whether there will be an opportunity for parliamentary consideration before that decision.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, the results of the preliminary consultation exercise will be analysed and reported to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Committee in the autumn. If the memorial committee continues to support the proposals in principle, the process of commissioning designs will begin, taking account of the views expressed by the public. Any preferred design would in due course be subject to the formal consultation processes which apply to developments on Crown land and which parallel the planning process as set out in Department of the Environment circular 18 of 1984. The allocation of parliamentary time is a matter for the usual channels.

Lord Blaker

My Lords, does the Minister agree with me that the proposals of the memorial committee involve very big changes to what is an outstanding heritage site and that, therefore, most people would think it quite wrong if such proposals were put into force without full debate in both Houses of Parliament? Would not the best solution be simply to change the name of Kensington Gardens to the Princess Diana Gardens and to use the £10 million thus saved to do something positive, like building a children's hospice, which would fit in very well with one of the other proposals of the committee?

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, these are, of course, important proposals; and, indeed, they affect a major site. As I said, the allocation of parliamentary time is a matter for the usual channels, but it is open to any noble Lord to table Questions or initiate debates on the subject. The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Committee is considering a whole range of ways of commemorating the late princess. The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund is allocating money to the princess's favourite charities. The figure of £10 million to which the noble Lord referred was bruited about last year. It has no particular relevance to any proposals now under consideration.

Lord Strabolgi

My Lords, is my noble friend aware of the very strong feelings against these proposals for Kensington Gardens by the people of Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster? These views are supported by the local authorities. Will they be taken fully into account before considering proceeding with these proposals?

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, I hear what my noble friend says but this is exactly what the consultation exercise is about. In addition to the exhibition which is now being held at the Albert Memorial Visitor Centre, leaflets and questionnaires are being sent out by 20th July to W1, W2, W8, W11, W14 and to SW1, SW3, SW5, SW7 and SW10. That is a wide consultation exercise. Of course the memorial committee will take serious account of the responses to that consultation exercise.

Baroness O'Cathain

My Lords, is the Minister sure that the leaflets which are to be sent out to all these areas of London are detailed enough as regards what is likely to happen with the Diana Memorial Garden, because certainly the press comment—if one reads it—seems to suggest that the exhibition at the Albert Memorial is not detailed enough and does not give enough information to allow people to make a judgment?

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, we cannot win, can we? If we provide information that is too detailed, we are told that we have already made up our minds and the whole consultation exercise is phoney. If the information is not detailed enough—according to the noble Baroness—we are told that we are not providing enough detail. Surely the idea of the consultation exercise is for local people and anyone visiting the visitor centre to give their views about what should happen. The whole point about this consultation exercise is that the memorial committee has not made up its mind about the scope or detail of the memorial which is planned; that is why the consultation is genuine.

Lord Kennet

My Lords, what is being done to find out the opinion of the rest of the country on these proposals? The number of postal districts read out by my noble friend has justified, I believe, the dispatch of only 180,000 leaflets of inquiry. That is not a large share of the British people.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Committee has received views from all parts of the country ever since its establishment at the end of last year. It has received about 10,000 responses to its invitation to people anywhere in the country to express their views about what should be done to commemorate the late princess. By far the most popular single response from the population of the country as a whole was that a memorial should be in the form of a garden and that it should be situated at Kensington Gardens.

Lord Campbell of Alloway

My Lords, I declare an interest in that I live in the area. Has this commission, or whatever it is, absolute power? Is there no form of permission, constraint, planning permission or anything of that kind? It seems rather odd that the wishes of the whole country—I have declared my interest—should be imposed on the residents of part of it.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, I have already made it clear in my replies this afternoon and last week that the committee does not have absolute power. Any proposal would have to be dealt with as a proposal on Crown land under circular 18 of 1984 which requires that, the Crown … will issue a notice of the proposed development to the local planning authority. If the local planning authority objects to the proposed development, and if those objections cannot be resolved in dialogue between the parties, the Crown body must refer the matter for resolution to my right hon friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions". There is plenty of consideration of this matter and the public have been consulted all along. Any member of the public, wherever he or she lives, may go to the visitor centre at the Albert Memorial and express a view.

Viscount Montgomery of Alamein

My Lords, in view of the difficulties, has the Minister considered a referendum?

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, if the noble Viscount will pay for it we might consider it.

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