UK Parliament / Open data

Holocaust Memorial Bill

In broad terms, my hon. Friend is absolutely right in the way that he sets out how these things will work. I am grateful to him for making his point in the way that he did.

Reference was made to some astronomical sum of money that has already been spent. I think I heard the figure £40 million. A total of £18 million has already been spent. I did not recognise the £40 million figure when it

was uttered by, I think, my hon. Friend the Member for Worthing West, so I checked with my officials. Nobody in the Department recognises that figure. He may want to write to me with the details, but it is not a figure that we recognise.

7 pm

My hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and Westminster made an important point about the setting and environment. Others spoke of the need to have a quiet time to reflect, having visited the education centre. Different people will be moved and touched by what they see, hear and read in very different ways. There is a wonderful and compellingly attractive synergy to having the education centre and the memorial juxtaposed. My hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Goole made the point that having the memorial adjacent to Parliament, making that linkage to democracy, is key. Having it in a space where there are trees and plants, and the river close by, so that people can come out of the education facility, see the memorial, and have time to pause, reflect, consider, pray, or just hold hands, hug or whatever people may want to do to express solidarity with each other, is also key.

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
750 cc975-6 
Session
2023-24
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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