New MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston Neil O’Brien has raised the campaign to save the war memorial at Market Harborough’s former cottage hospital at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions today, Mr O’Brien said:
“Earlier this year a brilliant new hospital - St Lukes - opened in my constituency. But the old cottage hospital which it replaces contains an important and unique war memorial. Will the First Secretary agree with me that however the NHS redevelops that site, it’s vital that war memorial is preserved in a fitting way – so that future generations can remember the sacrifices of those who came before us.”
The First Secretary of State, Damian Green, standing in for the Prime Minister, agreed that the war memorial must be protected - not least because of its Grade 2 listed status.
Commenting after Prime Minister’s Questions Mr O’Brien said:
“I have escalated this issue to Prime Minister’s Questions in order to emphasise the importance of this to the officials in charge of regenerating the old hospital. They should know that our community expects a really good solution to be found to preserve the memorial. Hopefully the support of senior Government ministers will remind them that they need to do whatever is needed to provide a fitting future for the memorial.”
A video and audio of the question can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/yb6r2s5g