Statues (Hansard, 20 November 2002)

Lord Campbell of Croy
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they possess powers to intervene if they consider that statues of national importance in London may be damaged by inappropriate methods of cleaning.

§ The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone)
My Lords, the Government do not possess powers to intervene in such circumstances. Forty-seven statues and monuments of national importance in London are cared for by English Heritage. The care of the remaining statues is the responsibility of the relevant local authority and, in a few cases, the Royal Parks Agency. English Heritage can offer advice and assistance to local authorities.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her reply. As the statues are, apparently, the responsibility of other bodies, will the Government—if they have not already done so—make contact with Mr Livingstone or others to make sure that the statues receive careful and correct cleaning, which may be expensive?

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, I think the noble Lord refers to the statues on the fountain in Leicester Square. Those statues are the responsibility of Westminster City Council. Last year, the council invited English Heritage to examine the statues and find out why they were deteriorating. It appears that inappropriate cleaning methods were used by the council at some time in the past. The council was unable to say exactly when that was. It is taking the advice of English Heritage and producing a special conservation programme proposed by English Heritage to help to reduce the rate of decay.

§ Viscount Falkland
My Lords, can the noble Baroness tell us, in general terms, how often a statue must be cleaned? Who normally does it? What kind of materials would be used?

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, my noble and learned friend Lord Williams of Mostyn says that it depends on the pigeons. I do not believe that it is possible to identify an average period after which statues need to be cleaned. It would depend on the statue and its location.
369 I repeat that the cleaning of statues is a matter, for the most part, for local authorities which usually have responsibility for them. In the case of the 47 which are the responsibility of English Heritage, that body takes the decision. I hope that statues will not be cleaned with totally inappropriate materials, as I gather happened in Leicester Square.

§ Lord St John of Fawsley
My Lords, when the noble Baroness speaks to Mr Livingstone on the matter of cleaning the statues, will she take the opportunity to remind him that the statue of Lord Napier and Ettrick, which he wishes to remove from Trafalgar Square, was erected with the pennies of private soldiers and that Lord Napier was a prominent supporter of the Chartist movement?

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, I shall not be speaking to Mr Livingstone about the statues in Leicester Square. They are not his responsibility. This is, as I said, a matter for Westminster City Council. There would be a requirement on Mr Livingstone to get planning consent for the removal of Lord Napier—or anybody else—from Trafalgar Square. He would also have to get the appropriate consent to put the statue somewhere else. I shall certainly try to remind him about the Chartist connections.