Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities written question – answered at on 6 February 2024.
Peter Bottomley
Father of the House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral evidence hearing of the Holocaust Memorial Bill Committee on the afternoon of 24 January 2024, whether he has had discussions with his Department's Counsel on the press release issued by the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation and the Cabinet Office entitled Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects win UK Holocaust Memorial International Design Competition; for what reason his Counsel contradicted the assertion that Sir David Adjaye was the lead designer of the architecture for that memorial; and if will take steps to draw that press release to the Committee's attention.
Simon Hoare
Chair, Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Counsel for the Secretary of State correctly drew the Select Committee’s attention to the role of the late Asa Bruno in designing the Holocaust Memorial. Mr Bruno’s evidence to the planning inquiry summarised the position as follows:
“I am co-founder and Director of Ron Arad Architects Ltd, the architectural practice acting as Memorial Architect for the project, and I am leading the role of Memorial Architect on behalf of the practice.”
Yes2 people think so
No3 people think not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
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