Royal Naval College (Hansard, 10 February 1997)

§ Mr. Soames

The Government decided last September to create a charitable trust to take over the responsibility for protecting the Royal Naval college, Greenwich, ensuring that it will be used in a fitting way to reflect the importance of the college to the nation's heritage and enhancing public access and enjoyment. It subsequently announced that Sir Angus Stirling would be the chairman of the trust.

We have now agreed that the body known as the Greenwich Foundation for the Royal Naval college should be registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee, with its stated objective as to preserve for the benefit of the nation the Royal Naval College site, buildings and monuments as being of historical, architectural, and artistic importance, and to educate the public thereon".

Registration is in hand.

I am also pleased to announce the names of those who have undertaken to serve as trustees of the foundation. They are: Sir Benjamin Bathurst, who retired as First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff in 1995, Sir David Cooksey, Richard MacCormac, Margaret Richardson, Christopher Swinson, Professor Thomas Kempner, Councillor Len Duvall, leader of the London borough of Greenwich, and Sir Franklin Berman. They will bring a wealth of local, naval, business, financial, heritage, architectural and educational expertise to the foundation.

The foundation is working closely with Greenwich hospital and with the Royal Navy to achieve a smooth handover of the site. Further to the recommendations of the advisory group, chaired by Dame Jennifer Jenkins, Sir Angus Stirling has already been exploring with the university of Greenwich, the National Maritime museum and other interested parties, the options for the future use of the site in a manner worthy of its historic and architectural status.