Asked by: Lord Robathan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the inclusion of Victoria Tower Gardens on the list published by Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank, 7 most endangered heritage sites in Europe for 2025, on 18 March.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley
The design for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre was chosen because it is sensitive to the heritage and existing uses of Victoria Tower Gardens, and includes enhancements that will help all visitors, including better pathways and improved access to existing memorials.
In considering the planning application, the independent Inspector looked in detail at matters such as the impact on the Gardens and existing Memorials. He concluded that any harms to heritage assets or open space were outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme.
Asked by: Lord Robathan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what provisions they are making for the red-listed category of cavity nesting birds which are reliant on buildings for suitable nesting cavities; and whether they intends to mandate the provision of swift bricks in new building projects.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is considering what action may be appropriate to help birds reliant on buildings to breed, including how to drive up rates of swift brick installation in new build properties.
Asked by: Lord Robathan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report from the Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission, published in January 2015, which identified three prospective sites for the intended Holocaust Memorial, for what reasons, and by what means, was a different site in Victoria Tower Gardens chosen.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Holocaust Commission's report was clear that the three potential sites it identified were “not the only possible sites”. As the cross-party body advising Government on taking forward the recommendations of the Holocaust Commission, the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation was tasked with finding the most appropriate location for a national memorial to the Holocaust and an accompanying education centre. The Government agrees with the Foundation’s recommendation that Victoria Tower Gardens, next to Parliament, is considered the most appropriate of the almost 50 sites examined, including those identified by the Commission in Lambeth and at Millbank. The option of locating at Potters Field referred to in the Holocaust Commission report no longer exists.