asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether negotiations with the contractors on the Downing Street project have yet been completed; and what was the final ex-gratia payment agreed to.

Negotiations with the contractor have not yet been completed.

How much longer have these negotiations to go on? Is it not the case that the contractor concerned got this contract on the basis of a fixed payment of £15,000? Can my right hon. Friend tell me what the contractors are now claiming? Is it because of the great difference between the two figures that the Ministry is now refusing to accept the second claim of the contractor concerned?

It would not be in the public interest to give details of financial negotiations while these are in progress. What I must tell my hon. Friend, although he should know, is that one can always get a bad settlement if one acts hastily.

Mr. Edward M. Taylor:

Can the Minister give a categorical assurance that the present incumbent of No. 10 is not protected by legislation recently approved by the House, as it is clearly in the national interest that he should be evicted as soon as possible?

I look on that as a rather juvenile and Christmas Intervention.

What did my right hon. Friend mean by saying that one gets a bad agreement if one acts hastily? Is it not the case that these negotiations have been going on for months and months and that the reason why they are going on is that the contractors are trying to exploit the Ministry? Will he not take firm action and say, "You are not going to get what you are asking for"?

I thought I had said something like that. Probably these negotiations are going on because of the obstinacy of my Ministry to ensure that the public interest is satisfied.