HC Deb 26 July 1937 vol 326 cc2686-8W
Sir R. Glyn

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he is yet in a position to state if the King George the Fifth Memorial Committee have now completed all negotiations for the purchase of the properties affected by the scheme at Abingdon Street; what will be the cost and by what date will the memorial be completed; what arrangements have been made by his Department to take charge of the site and to maintain it after the property is handed over by the memorial committee; and what sum was offered by the Government and accepted by the Lord Mayor of London, on behalf of the memorial committee, in order that the complete scheme might be carried out?

Sir P. Sassoon

The properties affected by the scheme at Abingdon Street for a memorial to King George V have not yet been transferred to the memorial committee: the committee have set aside a sum of £125,000 for the purpose of the memorial, but the date for the completion of the memorial cannot yet be stated: it is proposed that the memorial when completed shall be transferred to the Office of Works for maintenance, the memorial fund providing an endowment.

In reply to the last part of the question I am glad to be able, with the approval of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to take this opportunity to inform the House of the position. The Lord Mayor's Committee, having decided to adopt the Abingdon Street scheme in the modified form announced by the Lord Mayor on the 4th November last, asked His Majesty's Government for a grant of assistance thereto from public funds. The Government approved the principle of State participation in the scheme, but decided that the Government contribution should take the form not of a cash grant but of a free gift of all the State property within the area selected by the committee, including the sites now occupied by No. 5, Old Palace Yard, Nos. 5 and 5a, College Mews and No. 29, Abingdon Street. The value of these occupied sites may be put at approximately £80,000. In view of the exceptional nature of the proposed gift His Majesty's Government consider that the matter should be made the subject of specific parliamentary approval which they propose to seek next session by means of an affirmative resolution of both Houses of Parliament.