Bletchley Park gets thumbs down from government

Bletchley Park, home to the famed Second World War code breakers, has had a bid to gain funding from the government turned down.

Earlier this week, Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall's petition around government support for the restoration and development of Bletchley Park was rejected by Lord Davies, deputy chief whip at the House of Lords. Lord Davies pointed to the £330,000 Bletchley had already received from English Heritage in 2008 towards building repairs, and a further £300,000 promised by the organisation.

"The issue with regard to support for Bletchley Park is a complex one. The Bletchley Park Trust itself receives no external support but there is substantial support for the architectural and historical infrastructure," he added.

The Bletchley Park Trust has understandably expressed its dismay at the decision. Chief executive Simon Greenish acknowledged that the organisation had received "significant investment" for carrying out critical repairs from English Heritage and Milton Keynes Council.

"However, until these building works are completed over the next three years, it is the day-to-day operational costs associated with running this ageing and dilapidated site that the Trust battles to meet," he said. "Given the significant impact of Bletchley Park's wartime work on the outcome of World War Two and the way we all live today, I am disappointed at the negative government response to Baroness McIntosh's appeal."

Reading through the text of the debate that took place in the Lords on Tuesday, it quickly becomes apparent why the Bletchley funding issue is a hot topic among various peers, if not government ministers.

Baroness McIntosh was quick to declare a vested interest in the issue. "My parents met at Bletchley Park; so, without it, I would not be here to ask my noble friend whether he is aware that the fundraising effort to restore the buildings and museum facilities is going well," she explained.

Lord Clement-Jones then stepped in to declare that his parents had also met at Bletchley Park, in Hut 3, as did the parents-in-law of Lord Wallace.

Not to be outdone, Baroness Trumpington then explained that Baroness McIntosh's father was actually one of her bosses at Bletchley, so of course she had strong ties with the place. Poor old Viscount Montgomery of Alamein could only declare an indirect interest "in that my father was a beneficiary of the Ultra intelligence derived from the work done by the noble Baroness Trumpington, and others".

According to a quick search on the web, Bletchley employed around 12,000 people. That six of them should couple off and have children who now sit in the House of Lords struck me as fortuitous.

But still Bletchley is an important historic site, whether around its role in the British computing industry or in WWII, and deserves financial support to preserve the buildings and its traditions for future generations. The next step is a bid to win National Lottery funding so good luck with that, Bletchley.

21 May 2009