§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked the Chairman of Committees:
How many press passes were issued in respect of the Palace of Westminster and associated parliamentary buildings in (a) 1975, (b) 1985 and (c) 1995; and what was the total floor space allocated for press purposes in each of those years.
§ The Chairman of Committees (Lord Boston of Faversham)The figures for the House of Commons are understood to be 356 in 1975,407 in 1985 and 489 today (House of Commons Debs, Written Answers, 29 March 1995, col. 651). Figures for the House of Lords alone are not available for 1975 or 1985, but the present figure is 19.
Total floor space allocated for media purposes in the Palace of Westminster is at present estimated to be 700 square metres (House of Commons Debs, Written Answers, 28 March 1995, col. 533). Of this, approximately one half is estimated to be allocated to the press (and the rest to the television and broadcasting companies). Figures for 1975 and 1985 are not available, nor are separate figures for the House of Lords.