Parliament is open to visitors year round for tours of the iconic buildings. There is a range of tours and full details can be found on the Parliament website. When parliament is sitting members of the public can also watch debates and committee meetings.
Constituents are able to access a free 75 minutes guided walking tour if booked through the office of their MP. This is known as a 'democratic acceess guided tour'.
The walking tour of the Palace of Westminster includes:
- Westminster Hall, the ancient hall, which is the only remaing part of the original palace built in 1097, where many historic events have taken place
- The House of Commons, including the Speaker's Chair, the famous green benches and the 'lobbies' where MPs go to vote
- The House of Lords, including the Royal Throne, the Queen's Robing Room, and the Royal Gallery.
Please note that tours are very popular and places are limited and generally have to be booked about six months in advance.
If you are a constituent and would like to take advantage of this opportunity please contact my Westminster office to make arrangements.
Attending Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in the Commons Chamber is a popular session. It takes place every Wednesday when the House is sitting at 12 noon. Tickets are required. They are free of charge and are available only to UK residents. Overseas visitors my queue on the day and are able to watch is there is space in the gallery.
Tickets for PMQs are available through MPs who have a limited number of tickets allocated to them each year on set days. As such advance booking is essential to be sure of entry. At present the waiting list for tickets for PMQs from John's allocation is over a year.
As an alternative, if you would like to attend a regular session of Departmental Ministerial Questions this can be arranged much more readily. Again, please contact my office to make arrangements.