§ Mr. GILBERTasked the President of the Board of Education whether the University of London has accepted the offer of the Government of the Bloomsbury site near the British Museum; the cost of the site and its total acreage; and whether the Government propose to make any grants to the univesity for the erection of buildings on the site?
§ Mr. FISHERThe Government's offer of a site behind the British Museum is still under the consideration of the University. The extent of the site is about 11½ acres. As the purchase has not yet been actually completed, I am not at present in a position to make a statement as to the price proposed to be paid for it. The Government have informed the University that the state of the national finances did not justify their undertaking to provide the cost of the buildings for the new headquarters of the University from public funds, and that for the money needed for this purpose the University should look to the citizens of London. The Government have intimated that, when the time comes for King's College to move from the Strand to Bloomsbury, they are prepared to seek authority to purchase at a fair valuation the buildings at present occupied by King's College in the Strand, and the price so paid would be available towards the cost of the new buildings to be erected for King's College on the Bloomsbury site.