§ Mr. SpeakerI wish to inform the House that it has been considered necessary to bring into force special Security Arrangements for the Palace of Westminster.
Permanent passes will be available at the Admission Order Office after noon to-morrow for all Members of Parliament, Officers of the House, and such other persons as have regular employment or business in the House. I must ask every Member to apply individually for one of these passes as soon as possible; they are signed by the Lord Great Chamberlain.
A paper giving full details of these arrangements will be issued to every Member from the Office of the Chief Government Whip, so I do not propose to describe them in further detail now.
The entrance to Westminster Bridge Station by way of the Colonnade and subway will be closed after to-morrow; but for the convenience of Members and Officials, it will be opened for exit only for 30 minutes after the rising of the House, on days when the House meets.
I am sure I may ask for the co-operation of all Members in strictly carrying out these necessary arrangements, though I realise that they may cause some inconvenience to Members and their friends.
§ Sir Joseph LambHas any decision been arrived at with regard to the public galleries, whether the public are to be allowed in and whether precautions will be taken in that respect?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member had better wait until he sees the regulations which have been drawn up.
§ Mr. R. C. MorrisonIs it intended, when Members apply for their passes, to ask them to surrender the passes they already hold, in view of the fact that it is undesirable that Members, who have passes which were issued some months ago, should have more than one pass?
§ Mr. SpeakerI think that the passes referred to by the hon. Member are voluntary passes and not specially with a view to admittance to the precincts of the House.
§ Mr. Garro JonesWhether those passes are official or unofficial, is it not desirable, since they are signed by the Serjeant at Arms and bear the stamp of the House of Commons, that they should be withdrawn before new passes are issued?
§ Captain PluggeWere not those passes issued only in view of the evacuation scheme?
§ Mr. LevyDid I understand correctly that although we can go out by the Colonnade to Westminster Station, we are not permitted to come in by that way?
§ Mr. SpeakerMembers are only permitted to go out by the subway for half-an-hour after the House rises.
§ Mr. LunnMay I ask whether you have seen the pass issued by certain Ministers to Members, who are told that Ministers cannot be interviewed unless Members are in possession of one of them?
§ Mr. SpeakerI think that is dealt with in the regulations.
§ Mr. Garro JonesMembers of the House are in possession of official passes signed by the Serjeant at Arms and stamped with the House of Commons stamp. Seeing that the issue of new passes is about to begin, would it not be better to say that they shall not be issued until the old passes are returned?
§ Mr. SpeakerThat is not a compulsory but a voluntary pass. It is, however, unwise to have a multiplicity of passes and Members had better surrender the old ones.
§ Mr. Garro JonesI should have thought that it was obvious to every Member that the old passes, if not surrendered, may be lost or misused, making the system more dangerous than if no passes were issued?
§ Mr. SpeakerThat is why I said that it would be better to surrender them.
§ Mr. ThorneWas not one of the reasons why these special passes were issued to assist Members when they are travelling about?
§ Mr. SpeakerIt would be better to surrender those passes when the new ones are issued.
§ Mr. LeachAre we to take it that a careless Member arriving without his pass will be refused admission to the premises?
§ Mr. SpeakerThere are a good many questions that I could not answer.