HC Deb 12 March 1912 vol 35 cc1067-8W
Lord CHARLES BERESFORD

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, whether he has any official report showing that the real cause of so much illness at Osborne College is that, although the buildings have good foundations, the structures themselves are not suitable for habitation owing to dampness, all the buildings being without damp courses; whether, after repairs have been carried out in the building the portions repaired have been painted in order to stop the damp from rising; whether he is aware that if a sheet of uralite was taken off the base of the building the woodwork underneath would be found in a very wet condition; and what steps the Admiralty will take to remedy this state of affairs?

Mr. LAMBERT

I am not aware of any such report as that referred to by the Noble Lord. A damp-proof course does exist. Painting has been done after repairs, partly to preserve the structure from the weather and partly for the sake of appearance, but not in order to prevent damp rising. The buildings have been put into a satisfactory condition.