Oral Answers to Questions — Public Building and Works – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 9 November 1964.
Mr Christopher Chataway
, Lewisham North
12:00,
9 November 1964
asked the Minister of Public Building and Works (1) what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the scheme for providing new accommodation for the Home Office;
(2) what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the scheme for providing office accommodation for Parliament on the Bridge Street site.
Mr Charles Pannell
, Leeds West
All these matters were covered by the resolution of this House on 13th July, 1964. In accordance with that resolution, I will consider these matters further in the light of the report of Sir Leslie Martin and Professor Buchanan on the Whitehall area which I expect to receive in the spring.
Mr Christopher Chataway
, Lewisham North
Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that this work, which, as he knows, is important, will not be held up as the result of the stop on London office building?
Mr Charles Pannell
, Leeds West
No, Sir; I am not going to give any assurances at all until I see the report. I am sure that if I gave that assurance this afternoon there would be Questions down next week asking what the Government were doing with regard to office building bearing in mind the full stop called last week.
Sir Peter Emery
, Reading
Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that in reply to an earlier supplementary question of mine he said that the matter was being dealt with in a later Question on the Order Paper? This is the last Question on the Order Paper on this subject and so I repeat my supplemenary question. Will the right hon. Gentleman please ensure that the large room in St. Stephen's Tower used by the Parliamentary Labour Party is released for the use of the Opposition?
Mr Charles Pannell
, Leeds West
The answer to that is "No, Sir".
Mr Christopher Chataway
, Lewisham North
But surely the right hon. Gentleman, with his interest in providing accommodation for Members, will be prepared today to say that that accommodation will not be held up as the result of the Government's stop on building? He would not be saying today, would be, that he no longer thinks that the provision of new accommodation for Members is important after the campaigning that he has done over the years?
Mr Charles Pannell
, Leeds West
No, Sir. All I was saying on the first supplementary question from the hon. Gentleman, which I may have misunderstood, was that in pursuance of the Resolution of the House I was prepared to do a holding operation until I had got all the information. I can only tell him that I immediately started studies in my Department to ascertain how we could increase accommodation for the short-term programme, but the matters to which he was referring relate to the long-term programme. I would only say that I certainly would give way to no one in the House—
Mr Christopher Chataway
, Lewisham North
The stop on office building does not apply here?
Mr Charles Pannell
, Leeds West
I will not have it put exactly in that way. I am only telling the hon. Gentleman that, in the long term, I still hope that this Legislature will have conditions in which every Member will have a room, a desk and a place of his own, and that this Legislature will be properly armed with research services so that it can speak on more or less equal terms with the Executive.
Sir Harry Hylton-Foster
, Cities of London and Westminster
Mr. Costain, Question No. 24.
Sir Peter Emery
, Reading
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Due to the entirely unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I shall at the earliest possible opportunity raise the matter of the room in St. Stephen's held by the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Sir Harry Hylton-Foster
, Cities of London and Westminster
Order. For the second time this day, I repeat my request that hon. Members giving notice should adhere to the traditional formula. I desire the help of the House in this matter.
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