§ Lieut.-Colonel MOORE-BRABAZONasked the Home Secretary whether there are any restrictions at present on Sunday building; whether he is aware that great inconvenience is caused in the neighbourhood of Selfridge's new building by such work being proceeded with during Sunday: whether it is the intention of the Home Office to allow the streets in the neighbourhood of this building to be congested by vans delivering and taking away goods: and whether, in the new building scheme, a yard has been allowed for to avoid the present congestion?
§ Mr. SHORTTI do not know of any statutory enactment on the subject of Sunday building other than the general provisions of the Lord's Day Observance Act, 1677. A certain amount of obstruction is inevitable when large building operations are in progress, but the police find that it is generally less on Sundays than on week-days. I have no information that any special inconvenience is caused by the work mentioned in the question. There is no power to prohibit the legitimate use of vans, though the police can deal with unnecessary obstruction. Plans of new buildings are not submitted to me or to the police, and I am therefore not in a position to answer the last paragraph of the question.