§ Sir Geoffrey Finsbergasked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts whether the Government have now decided detailed arrangements for the central funding of Kenwood, Marble Hill and Rangers houses following the abolition of the Greater London council.
§ Mr. WaldegraveOwnership and management of these three historic house museums and the grounds attachng to each of them will pass to the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England. My right hon. and noble Friend has every confidence that this arrangement will enhance the position and importance of these properties and of their collections.
272Wfirmly into the trunk road programme. This has been made possible because the connection of our published scheme with the county's link to its A157 road captures more through traffic and thus makes the proposal a much more economic proposition than the original. But, as people in Louth are only too well aware, there are also big environmental reasons why this bypass must go ahead as soon as possible.
It will be a priority for my Department, and I want to make progress rapidly. I hope, therefore, that the detailed design work now needed and consideration by the public and local authorities of the necessary draft line, side-road and purchase orders, including a possible public inquiry, can be completed in time for a start of construction work as early as 1988. Given the time it normally takes to bring a road proposal to the construction stage, this is a very ambitious target—but one that I intend to meet if at all possible.