HC Deb 29 November 1937 vol 329 c1706W
Lord Apsley

asked the First Commissioner of Works who was responsible for the selection of Mr. Hardiman's statue of Lord Haig, recently erected near Whitehall; what was the total cost of the statue, including any modifications made; and whether any other tenders were asked for or made, and their comparative estimated cost?

Sir P. Sassoon

Five sculptors were invited by my predecessor in 1928 to submit competitive designs. Three accepted the invitation, and the recommendation that Mr. Hardiman's design be selected was made by a committee of assessors which comprised nominees of the Royal Academy, the National Gallery, the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Royal Society of British Sculptors, with an independent chairman. I am not at present in a position to state the actual total cost of the statue. It was not considered that a matter of this nature could appropriately be dealt with by the process of competitive tendering.