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Written Question
National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service
Wednesday 5th July 2023

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 22 June (HL Deb col 329) concerning the proposed Holocaust memorial, whether they will clarify what was meant by the statement that "The view of Parliament from the memorial will serve as a permanent reminder that political decisions have far-reaching consequences".

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Detailed information on the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre published as part of the planning application includes an assessment of the significance of the chosen location (see especially the proof of evidence of the UK Holocaust Memorial co-chairs (document cd 8.1) and the assessment of alternative sites (see environmental statement volume 2 revised chapter 4 (cd 6.49)). The information remains available on Westminster City Council’s website.

In addition to the planning application information, the answers I provided on 12 April 2023 (HL6914) and 5 May (HL7432) provide detailed figures on the areas used for the proposed development. For clarity, the figure of approximately 7.5% relates to the total area of Victoria Tower Gardens and the figure of around 85% relates to the area of green space at Victoria Tower Gardens.


Written Question
Victoria Tower Gardens
Wednesday 5th July 2023

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 22 June (HL Deb col 328) that the proposed design for a Holocaust memorial “uses approximately 7.5 per cent of the area of Victoria Tower Gardens”, and the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government) on 4 July 2019 (HC270274), which refers to around 85 per cent of green space being retained, whether they will clarify the amount of green space that would be lost; and what assessment they have made of the calculation by the London Historic Parks & Gardens Trust that 29.6 per cent of the green space, excluding the mound, would be lost.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Detailed information on the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre published as part of the planning application includes an assessment of the significance of the chosen location (see especially the proof of evidence of the UK Holocaust Memorial co-chairs (document cd 8.1) and the assessment of alternative sites (see environmental statement volume 2 revised chapter 4 (cd 6.49)). The information remains available on Westminster City Council’s website.

In addition to the planning application information, the answers I provided on 12 April 2023 (HL6914) and 5 May (HL7432) provide detailed figures on the areas used for the proposed development. For clarity, the figure of approximately 7.5% relates to the total area of Victoria Tower Gardens and the figure of around 85% relates to the area of green space at Victoria Tower Gardens.


Written Question
National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service
Wednesday 5th July 2023

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 22 June (HL Deb col 328), in relation to the consideration of alternative sites for a Holocaust memorial, that “all that work was done many years ago”, whether they intend to publish their assessment of sites alternative to Victoria Tower Gardens.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Detailed information on the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre published as part of the planning application includes an assessment of the significance of the chosen location (see especially the proof of evidence of the UK Holocaust Memorial co-chairs (document cd 8.1) and the assessment of alternative sites (see environmental statement volume 2 revised chapter 4 (cd 6.49)). The information remains available on Westminster City Council’s website.

In addition to the planning application information, the answers I provided on 12 April 2023 (HL6914) and 5 May (HL7432) provide detailed figures on the areas used for the proposed development. For clarity, the figure of approximately 7.5% relates to the total area of Victoria Tower Gardens and the figure of around 85% relates to the area of green space at Victoria Tower Gardens.


Written Question
Government Departments: Freedom of Information
Tuesday 30th May 2023

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 11 May (HL7431), what assessment they have made of the impact of the cost limit for responding to freedom of information requests remaining at £600 since 2004 on (1) any curtailment of the time that may be spent in dealing with freedom of information requests, and (2) any increase in the number of refusals of requests as a result of that curtailment.

Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

There has been no curtailment, so no assessment has been made of any increase in the number of refusals as a result of the "curtailment"'. The cost limit is a calculation based on officials’ time and has remained at a flat rate of £25 per hour since 2004.


Written Question
Government Departments: Freedom of Information
Thursday 11th May 2023

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how the costs of responding to freedom of information requests involving the disclosure of emails are calculated; and when the limit of £600, beyond which cost the request can be refused, was last uprated.

Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 allows public authorities to refuse to deal with any requests where they estimate that responding to the request would exceed the “appropriate limit”, known as the “cost limit”.

If a public authority calculates that responding to a request will take it over the appropriate limit it is not obliged to provide a substantive response. The cost limit is calculated at a flat rate of £25 per hour and since 2004 has been set at £600 for central government departments and £450 for other public authorities. Public authorities can only include certain activities when estimating whether responding to a request would breach the cost limit. These are: establishing whether information is held; locating and retrieving information; and extracting relevant information from the document containing it.


Written Question
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Freedom of Information
Wednesday 10th May 2023

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of freedom of information requests received in the past 12 months by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities were withheld in full because of the cost of the response exceeding the limit.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Cabinet Office publishes information on the handling of freedom of information requests on Gov.uk. This published information shows that for 2022 17% of the 867 requests for information received by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities were refused on the grounds of cost.


Written Question
National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service
Wednesday 10th May 2023

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) for the contents of the Learning Centre to be attached to the UK Holocaust Memorial, and (2) to specify the populations whose genocides are to be commemorated therein.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The main focus of the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre's exhibition content is to ensure that the story of what happened during the unique events of the Holocaust resonates with the public. This will include raising questions about Britain's role at the time. The content will also address genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.


Written Question
National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service
Friday 5th May 2023

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the written answer by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 21 April (HL6913) relating to the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, whether they will set out the measurement in square metres of each of the items (a) to (g) in item 9 of the table included in that answer.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The measurements for the items in 9) are:

Area to be enclosed to ensure the security of the Centre

1412 m2

Of which….

Entrance pavilion

113 m2

Courtyard and ramp into the Learning Centre

1058 m2

Associated hard standing

48 m2

Service access

4 m2

Access paths

53 m2

The parts of the mound not accessible to the public (fins and ha-ha)

153 m2

Service elements of café building

17 m2

Total surface area to be occupied by Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre

1429 m2


Written Question
Diplomatic Service: Political Impartiality
Tuesday 2nd May 2023

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 4 April (HL6671), what guidance is given to British diplomats on maintaining political impartiality when they are acting privately in a public setting, as distinct from carrying out their diplomatic responsibilities.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

British diplomats are respected around the world because of the high standards to which they hold themselves, of which the Diplomatic Service Code is a key part. The private conduct of British diplomats is governed by the Diplomatic Service Code, contained in the Diplomatic Service Regulations (DSRs) as DSR1. DSR36 of these Regulations also highlights the requirements relating to political activity.


Written Question
National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service
Wednesday 12th April 2023

Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the size in square metres of (1) the current playground in Victoria Tower Gardens, (2) the intended new playground, (3) the intended new café, and (4) the part of the current playground to be occupied by UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre ticketing and associated works.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Extensive information about the design of the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre was considered at the Planning Inquiry in October 2020 and remains publicly available on Westminster City Council’s website. The additional detail requested is set out in the table below and to provide further assistance and to illustrate the answers I am placing the three source documents in the Library:

  • Gross Internal Area (GIA) & Building Area Breakdown Schedule which shows the area in square metres of every internal space within the proposed Learning Centre, the Entrance Pavilion and the Café/Kiosk.
  • Park Area Diagram rev 2 which shows both the size of Victoria Tower Gardens and the area taken by the Holocaust Memorial above ground within the park.
  • Playground Area Adjustment which shows the boundaries and areas of the current playground and proposed reconfigured playground. It also shows the area between the Spicer Memorial in its proposed new location and the Holocaust Memorial’s entrance pavilion. This area would provide circulation space for all park users between the boundary of the reconfigured playground and the Memorial’s Entrance Pavilion.

Question

Answer

Source

1

The floor area in square metres of the proposed underground construction of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

3258 m2 * (includes 373m2 of unusable spaces such as voids, risers and areas with limited headroom) * all areas are gross internal floor area (GIFA) i.e. excluding external walls.

GIA & Building Area Breakdown Schedule

2

Percentage of the underground area that will be used for exhibitions and public space as part of the Learning Centre.

52.85% Mezzanine Level Lobby (103m2) Learning Centre (349 m2) Basement Level Threshold (314m2) Learning Centre (956 m2) Total = 1722 m2

GIA and Building Area Breakdown Schedule

3

Area in square metres of Victoria Tower Gardens as a whole, that will be enclosed to guarantee security around the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in addition to the area occupied by the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre itself.

Zero as an addition to the 1429 m2 occupied by the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

NHM Park Area Diagram rev 2

4

Proportion of (3)

Zero

NHM Park Area Diagram rev 2

5

Size in sqm of the current playground in Victoria Tower Gardens

1010 m2

Playground Area Adjustment

6

Size in sqm of the intended new playground

945 m2

Playground Area Adjustment

7

Size in sqm of the intended new café

15 m2 Café/Kiosk 38 m2 including generator and storage

GIA and Building Area Breakdown Schedule

8

Size in sqm of the part of the current playground to be occupied by UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre ticketing and associated works

23m2 Café/Kiosk generator and storage. Zero occupied by ticketing operations in the Entrance Pavilion. Footfall area 155 m2

GIA and Building Area Breakdown Schedule Playground Area Adjustment

9

Area in square metres of Victoria Tower Gardens as a whole that will be occupied by the intended UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, including (a) the entrance pavilion, (b) courtyard and ramp into the Learning Centre, (c) associated hard standing, (d) service access, (e) new access paths, (f) the parts of the mound not accessible to the public, and (g) areas to be enclosed to ensure the security of the Centre.

1429 m2

NHM Park Area Diagram rev 2

10

Proportion of (9)

7.58%

NHM Park Area Diagram rev 2