HL Deb 25 July 1983 vol 443 cc1415-6WA
Lord Jenkins of Putney

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will borrow enough money from one of their wealthy supporters to enable them to put down a deposit on the Covent Garden theatre museum site.

The Earl of Gowrie

The proposed theatre museum site is owned by the Greater London Council and would be leased to the Property Services Agency; no question of a deposit arises for this purpose. The signing of an agreement to enter into a lease was postponed because the agreement stipulated a timetable for completion of the building works, financed by the Government, and funds to enable an immediate start could not be guaranteed in the light of the cash limit reductions for 1983–84. The Government remain committed to the project and are now reviewing with the GLC terms of the agreement, in order to facilitate progress. I am also exploring possible ways of securing an early building start without calling on Government funds in this financial year, including the possibility of contributions from private sources.