HC Deb 23 February 1931 vol 248 cc1787-8W
Sir C. COBB

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether the Royal Fine Art Commission, when consulted as to the building line to be adopted for the new Government offices on the Embankment side of the Whitehall site, had their attention drawn to the building line fixed by Section 14 of the Public Offices (Sites) Act, 1912; what views were expressed by the Commission; and what reasons were given in support of such views?

Mr. LANSBURY

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; in regard to the second and third parts of the question the Commission came to the definite conclusion that, both on architectural and other grounds, the adoption of the building line now proposed was justified in preference to that fixed by Section 14 of the Public Offices (Sites) Act, 1912. I understand that the report of the Commission, in which their views and the reasons for such views are given in extenso, will be issued in the course of this week.

Sir C. COBB

asked the First Commissioner of Works if he is aware that a great part of the land between the building-line fixed by Section 14 of the Public Offices (Sites) Act, 1912, which it is proposed to repeal by the Public Offices (Sites) Amendment Bill, is land reclaimed from the Thames under the provisions of the Thames Embankment Act, 1862, and handed over to the Crown, and that other land similarly reclaimed has been preserved as a public open space or has been made subject to statutory restrictions against building thereon; and whether he will apply this principle in fixing the building line on the Embankment between Whitehall Gardens and New Scotland Yard for the purpose of the new Government offices?

LANSBURY

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; in regard to the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to the Address to Her Majesty made on 19th July, 1870, wherein it was statedinter alia that such a limitation of the use of this land would not appear to have been within the contemplation of the Statute referred to. An opportunity will, however, be given for full discussion of this question on the Second Reading of the Public Offices (Sites) Amendment Bill.