§ Ms. GordonTo ask the Minister for the Arts when the shelving at the British Library development at St. Pancras will be in usable condition; and when he expects the official opening to take place.
§ Mr. RentonProblems have been experienced with the mechanical movement and paint treatment of the basement bookshelving. A solution to the mechanical problem has been factory tested and the British Library is carrying out its own tests in the basements at St. Pancras. Tests on the paint, however, have shown there may be592W inadequate paint protection in places. A number of options are under discussion with the contractor concerned. Until the outcome of these discussions is known it is not possible to say when the library can start to move its collections into the new building. The bookshelves are a small, albeit important, part of the overall project. The rest of the project is essentially unaffected by the bookshelving and is still progressing within the cash budget set for it in 1988. An announcement about the official opening will be made as soon as uncertainties have been resolved.