§ Mr. Ancramasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is still his intention that the former John Watson's school in Belford Road, Edinburgh, should be used for museum or gallery purposes.
§ Mr. YoungerThe previous Government announced in August 1977 that the former John Watson's would be36W adapted for use by the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, and planning and other work on the building started shortly after that.
The Committee on National Museums and Galleries in Scotland, under the chairmanship of Dr. Alwyn Williams, has submitted to me an interim report which recommended that the John Watson's building should be allocated instead to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, and that the museum's accommodation in the building which it shares with the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Queen Street, Edinburgh, should house the Gallery of Modern Art.
On receiving the committee's report, I consulted the trustees of the two institutions concerned, and in the course of subsequent discussions I made it clear that in present circumstances the Government could not entertain any proposals which entailed substantial increases in the planned levels of public expenditure. As a result of the discussions, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that it is not possible within these constraints to find a basis for accepting the committee's recommendation which would meet the needs and aspirations of the two institutions. The Property Services Agency will accordingly continue with the work necessary to convert John Watson's for use by the Gallery of Modern Art.