§ 32. Mr. AingerTo ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what additional facilities are planned for visitors to the Palace of Westminster. [8753]
§ Mr. BeithIn its first report of 1992–93, the Catering Committee recommended that the area currently occupied by the Westminster Hall cafeteria should be converted to a visitor centre, but that that should take place only when a suitable alternative was found for the present lunchtime users. The House agreed to the Committee's report on 12 July 1994. The Catering Committee considers that, until the cafeteria in the new parliamentary building is operational, the recommendation for a visitor centre cannot be implemented.
§ Mr. AingerI am grateful for the right hon. Gentleman's answer, but I think that he will agree that it is wholly unacceptable that, although the recommendation for a new visitor centre was accepted in 1994, the plans are no further advanced. Many hon. Members' constituencies are located some distance from London and, when school parties from those areas visit the Palace of Westminster, schoolchildren may catch buses as early as 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning, and they have no opportunity to take any refreshment until they arrive at the House. Will he bring forward plans for the visitor centre so that we can at least offer some refreshment to schoolchildren who travel many miles to visit Westminster?
§ Mr. BeithThe hon. Gentleman makes a good point that is widely shared in the House. If he has some ideas about how the Catering Committee or the Accommodation and Works Committee could deal with the problem, I hope that he will put them to those bodies. At present, 500 people use the Westminster Hall cafeteria at lunchtime and there is a practical problem to be resolved.
§ Mr. ViggersOther countries with lesser parliamentary traditions than ours have museums associated with their Parliaments that are well supported and attended. Does the right hon. Gentleman believe that if there were a larger parliamentary museum than that housed in the Jewel House—which is not well advertised—it might reduce the number of visitors to Parliament, relieve the pressure and provide an additional attraction?
§ Mr. BeithThere could be new facilities to depict the history of this building, but I do not think that anything would take the place of schoolchildren and other visitors being able to see the House of Commons Chamber in which debates take place. Therefore, we must organise our affairs so that they can do so.