Mr. A. T. DAVIESasked the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the present financial condition of the country and the opinions expressed by certain leading military authorities and supported by several chambers of commerce and other bodies, he is prepared to suspend the activities of the Imperial War Museum for a period of 20 years?
Mr. YOUNGI would refer the hon. Member to the relevant passages in the Third Report of the Committee on National Expenditure. From these it will be seen that the expenditure incurred on the maintenance of the Imperial War Museum has been very carefully reviewed and substantially reduced in each of the last three financial years. No appreciable saving of public money would result from the proposal to suspend the activities of this museum for a period of 20 years. Provision must in any case be made for the proper custody and arrangement of the valuable collections of exhibits, pictures, etc., which have been purchased, presented or loaned for the special purposes of this museum by Allied Powers, the Colonies, the naval and military forces of the Crown, and by distinguished individual artists and war workers. The only result therefore of closing this museum for a period of years would be 1307W to deprive the public and students of the use of these collections, which have been very largely visited by all sections of the public since the formal opening of the museum by His Majesty in June, 1920. The possibility of effecting further economies by arrangements to accommodate the collections, as now reduced for purposes of permanent retention, in some more accessible and economical building than the Crystal Palace is engaging the attention of His Majesty's Government.