70. Mr. HendersonStewart asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that the entire decorations, fittings, fabric and roofing material of Marks Hall, an historic Elizabethan mansion in Essex, are to be publicly auctioned in lots on 15th December; that the late owner, Mr. Phillips Price, bequeathed Marks Hall to the nation and that it is listed for preservation as a Grade I building under Section 30 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that the provisions of this Act are effectively applied.
§ Mr. Glenvil HallI understand that Marks Hall is not listed under Section 30 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, and therefore the last part of the Question does not arise. The late Mr. Phillips Price bequeathed the estate to the nation, but with a life interest to his widow, who is still alive. The house is now in very poor condition and could not be restored without unjustifiably large expenditure; the Treasury therefore consented to the auction referred to in the Question as the only practicable alternative to further deterioration.