Written question asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative) on Thursday, 8 June 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 June 2000. It was answered by Baroness Hughes of Stretford (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 June 2000 on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what decision he has taken concerning a possible second inquiry into the future of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Hilda's Middlesbrough.

Answer: Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what decision he has taken concerning a possible second inquiry into the future of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Hilda's, Middlesbrough. [125871] Ms Beverley Hughes: None. The listed building consent applications to demolish the former Middlesbrough Cathedral, now known as the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and its former Presbytery, were called in by the Secretary of State on 13 April. Following a major fire on 30 May, the church building is beyond reasonable hope of being repaired and is to be demolished on grounds of public safety. The Secretary of State therefore on 7 June withdrew his direction to call in the application to demolish the church building. The adjacent presbytery survived the fire reasonably intact and remains called in. The public local inquiry will now be held into finding possible alternative uses for the presbytery building only. The length of the inquiry will therefore be shorter than was originally proposed for the joint inquiry into both buildings.

Secondary information