Visitor access (2019)

Response

Please note initially that some of the parliamentary estate is open for visitors during business hours on guided tours. Further, members of the public can observe debates in the House of Commons’ and House of Lords’ chambers, attend certain talks and events on the estate and visit the Parliamentary Archives. Full details of the ways members of the public can visit Parliament can be found on our parliamentary pages.

Our responses to your questions therefore covers guest access to areas of the parliamentary estate not accessible to the general public.

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1. Do you have a policy and/or process for visitor access to the parliamentary estate, including, but not restricted to, Portcullis House, Norman Shaw, and the House of Commons?
   This information is held by the House of Commons. There is a policy for visitor access to the parliamentary estate.
   Passholders - including House of Commons and House of Lords staff, Parliamentary Digital Service staff, Members of either House and individuals with passes ‘sponsored’ by Members or political parties - may escort up to 6 guests onto the estate at any one time.
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2. Are all visitors required to provide photographic ID?
   This information is held by the House of Commons. Visitors do not have to provide photographic ID for access to the parliamentary estate. They are provided with a temporary visitor photo-pass which must be worn at all times while they are on the estate.  They must also be escorted by a full passholder when they enter areas not normally accessible to the public.
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3. Is this policy/process provided to all staff in the building, for example during induction? If yes please provide details of who is responsible for overseeing this and how staff are informed of this policy/process. 
   This information is held by the House of Commons. Staff of the House of Commons are made aware of general access and security arrangements when they start their employment. Information for staff who wish to bring visitors to Parliament is provided on our internal web pages. Security and access arrangements are the responsibility of the Parliamentary Security Department (PSD).
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4. Please provide a copy of this policy, or process, or both.
   This information is held by the House of Commons.
   A copy of the most up-to-date rules for staff who wish to bring visitors to Parliament is attached, copied from our internal staff guidance.

In addition, the Members Handbook contains the visitors and guests policy and is publicly available on our parliamentary pages.  Accessibility rules differ for the various catering venues on the parliamentary estate. Full details on accessibility are available on our parliamentary pages.  As this information is reasonably accessible to you otherwise than under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) the House is exempting the information under the exemption set out in section 21(1) and (2)(a) of the FOIA.  This is an absolute exemption and the public interest test does not apply.