the land between the new Millbank-street and the river being kept as a garden for the use of the public for ever.” (Report of the Improvements Committee, 13 March 1900) (emphasis added) 94. On 1 March 1900, on the Second Reading of the Bill in the Commons, the First Commissioner said that the bill must be amended to provide that the land between Millbank and the river be laid out as a garden, and that he would otherwise ask the House to reject the bill on its Third Reading. “THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (Mr. AKERS DOUGLAS (Kent, St. Augustine’s) I desire to state to the House the attitude of the Government with reference to this measure. We recognise that it aims at a great improvement, but at the same time there are some important Amendments which we must insist on having introduced into the Bill. One of the Amendments is that the whole space between the proposed new road and the river should be laid out in continuation of the Victoria Tower Gardens. There is really no difference in principle between the Government and the County Council as regards the nature of the Amendments. The County Council and the Government would be sorry to see the improvement scheme checked, and I do not propose to object to the Second Reading, but I reserve to myself the right to ask the House to reject the Bill on the Third Reading unless the Amendments are inserted.” (Hansard, Volume 79, debated on 1 March 1900) (emphasis added). 95. On 20 March 1900, the Council agreed to accept a clause specifying that the land between Millbank and the river was to be laid out as a garden: “The Council considered the following recommendation in the report brought upon 6th March – London County Council (Improvements) Bill – Westminster improvement 2 – That the Parliamentary Committee be authorised to insert in the London County Council (Improvements) Bill a clause to provide that the land between the new Millbank-street to be 35