§ Mr. GRANTasked the President of the Board of Education what recent necessity has arisen for filling up certain of the windows with ground glass on the south side of the gallery leading to the lecture-theatre in the Victoria and Albert Museum in such a way as to blot out the view of 1123W the inner quadrangle, garden, and its surrounding fine and instructive architecture; and whether, in the interests of the public and students, he will have this ground glass removed?
§ Mr. J. A. PEASENo ground glass has been placed in the windows in question. Some were stippled nearly two years ago for the protection of the pictures temporarily placed in the gallery; but this can be washed off at any moment if, when the future use of the gallery is decided, it is found desirable to do so.
§ Mr. GRANTasked when the repairs to the ceiling of the gallery leading to the lecture theatre of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the replacing of the flooring in that gallery, recommended by the Committee in their Report lately presented to Parliament, will be taken in hand; and whether the original fair-grey colouring of the walls of that gallery, to match the colouring of the twelve ornamental columns of the gallery, can now be proceeded with?
§ Mr. PEASEIn regard to the ceiling and the flooring of the gallery in question, steps are being taken to carry out the recommendations of the Committee referred to. The question of the colouring of the walls is reserved for the present.
§ Mr. GRANTasked what has become of the series of lunettes and panels, painted by several distinguished artists forty years ago, which decorated rooms 101 to 106 of the Victoria and Albert Museum; and what arrangements are being made for them to be on view again?
§ Mr. PEASEThe lunettes and panels referred to were carefully stored while the alterations to these galleries were in progress, and they are now being replaced in their original positions.
§ Mr. GRANTasked the President of the Board of Education what causes the delay in replacing the collection of water-colour paintings belonging to the Victoria and Albert Museum in the rooms 81, 82, 87, 88, 90, the new fire-proof roofs of which are stated to have been completed during the year 1911 (vide Report on Victoria and Albert Museum, presented to Parliament in June, 1912); and when this collection is likely to be so replaced?
§ Mr. PEASEAt this moment I can add nothing to the answer I gave on this subject on the 20th June, 1912, to the hon. Member for South Salford. I am not yet1124W able to make any statement, but I hope to make a statement as to the subject early next year.
§ Mr. GRANTasked the President of the Board of Education what use has been made of Rooms 101–106, formerly Jones Collection, in the Victoria and Albert Museum since the date when the new fireproof roofs were completed in 1911; and how long such valuable exhibiting space is to remain closed to the public, seeing that the need for more room is referred to in the Report on the Victoria and Albert Museum for 1911?
§ Mr. PEASEIn answer to the first part of the question, the rooms referred to have been used for temporary purposes, such as the preliminary display of objects offered on loan or for purchase. With reference to the last part of the question, I hope to make a statement early next year.
§ Mr. GRANTasked the President of the Board of Education whether he will cause the statement of prices paid by the Board of Education for acquisitions for the Victoria and Albert Museum to be more fully and satisfactorily given in the Report of the year 1912, seeing that in the Report of 1911 forty prices are only given in respect of at least 370 purchases; and will he state what principle was adopted to govern the selection of these forty?
§ Mr. PEASEGenerally speaking, the prices of objects purchased at a cost of less than £50 have not been given in the Statement. The suggestion that a larger number of prices should be given in the next Report will be considered, but on the question of principle I may remind the hon. Member of an answer given to him by my predecessor on 6th March, 1911.