§ Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEYasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if the design for the proposed new front of Buckingham Palace has been approved by the First Commissioner of Works or by any responsible body of architects or artists; whether the drawings for the proposed elevation have been submitted to the present President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, to any committee of that body, or to the President of the Royal Academy; whether, if the proposed new front is paid for out of a memorial fund, the Government will have any control or supervision over the work, and whether this House will be permitted to have an opportunity of expressing an opinion upon the designs before they are finally decided upon; whether it is proposed to allow any competing designs to be sent in for selection from any other architects of high repute; and, if not, whether any of the demerits of some of the more recent architecture at present disfiguring the other end of the Mall are likely to be repeated in the new front of the palace?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNThe design of the proposed new front of Buckingham Palace has been approved by the First Commissioner of Works. The design has not been submitted to any other person or institute, but the Office of Works maintain complete control and supervision of the work. The First Commissioner has arranged to place a sketch of the design in the Tea Room of the House this day. It is not proposed to ask for any other designs.