§ Mr. Pitmanasked the Minister of Works when the public buildings in Whitehall were last steam or water cleaned; and whether he will refer the matter of such cleaning to the Fine Arts Committee.
§ Mr. MolsonAlthough some small sections of the public buildings in Whitehall have been cleaned experimentally in the past, such treatment has never been given to these buildings as a whole.
90W
§ Mr. Iain MacleodThe following table gives the information desired:
politan Police District and in the City of London, respectively, during the calendar year 1958; and what was the percentage variation from the comparable figures for 1957.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerThe information is as follows:
The purpose of cleaning could be to preserve the structure or to improve the appearance. So far as the former is concerned, I am advised that any slight deterioration of the material is insufficient to justify the large expenditure which would be required. As regards the latter, opinions would certainly differ as to whether the cleaning had resulted in an improvement. The appearance of Whitehall would be greatly changed and many people would regret the loss of the existing patina on stone and brick.