HC Deb 28 July 1988 vol 138 cc396-7W
Mr. Amess

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he has any plans to review the present line of route; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Wakeham

I have no such plans. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hyndburn (Mr. Hargreaves) on 12 May at column234.

Mr. Amess

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will raise with the Services Committee the possibility of levying charges for tourists visiting the Palace of Westminster during the summer recess; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Wakeham

I have no plans to do so. This matter was most recently considered and rejected by the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee in January 1987. Successive Administrations have accepted that the costs of the Palace of Westminster, which include the cost of controlling visits, are a legitimate charge on public funds.

Mr. Amess

To ask the Lord President of the Council what was the total number of visitors to the Palace during the summer recess in 1987; how many were tourists; and what were the figures for each year since 1983.

Mr. Wakeham

The total number of all visitors during each summer recess since 1983 is as follows:

Number
1983 12,751
1984 17,502
1985 19,290
1986 20,462
1987 20,449

It is not possible to differentiate between tourists and other visitors.

Mr. Amess

To ask the Lord President of the Council what representations he has received requesting him to raise with the Services Committee the levying of charges for tourists visiting the Palace of Westminster during the summer recess; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Wakeham

I have reveived no such representations during this Parliament. However, I am aware that my hon. Friend raised this matter in the debate on tourism on 17 June.

Mr. Amess

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will raise with the Services Committee the possibility of opening the line of route for visitors on Saturdays and throughout the summer recess; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Wakeham

I have no plans to do so.

Mr. Amess

To ask the Lord President of the Council what is his estimate of the cost of providing visitors to the Strangers Gallery with copies of documents relating to the business under discussion; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Wakeham

Given the wide range of subjects discussed and the variation in size and price of documents, it is not possible to provide a reliable estimate. However, the value of Order Papers and guides for visitors to the gallery, which are already provided to visitors free of charge, amounts to some £450,000 annually.

Mr. Amess

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will raise with the Services Committee the possibility of making certain parliamentary publications available for sale to visitors to the Palace of Westminster; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Wakeham

I have no plans to do so. Visitors to the Gallery are already provided with the "Guide for Visitors to the Gallery" and with a copy of the relevant Order Paper free of charge. On leaving the Gallery, they may also obtain from the Admission Order Office, an order form for a copy of the relevant Hansard, which will be supplied by Her Majesty's Stationery Office on receipt of the order form and payment.

The new parliamentary building (phase I) will include a parliamentary bookshop, which will offer a full range of parliamentary publications to the public. It is expected that this bookshop will be open in late 1990.