Visits to the Gallery of the House of Commons

The Strangers' Gallery is open to the public when the House is sitting, which is usually:

• 14.30 - 22.30 or later on Mondays

• 11.30 - 19.30 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

• 11.30 - 18.30 on Thursdays

• 09.30 - 15.00 on sitting Fridays;

When the House returns after a recess on a day other than a Monday, the first day will have Monday sitting times. Monday sitting times will also apply on Tuesday 3^rd May 2005.

Recess

The Strangers' Gallery is closed to the public when the House is in recess. The provisional recess dates announced for this year are:

Attending on Monday - Thursday

The first hour of proceedings is devoted to Question Time. Prime Ministers' Question Time takes place on Wednesdays. To attend at this time, United Kingdom residents should write to their local Member of Parliament. Members have only a small allocation of tickets so requests should be made as far in advance as possible.

Foreign and Commonwealth visitors can apply to their Embassy or High Commission in the UK for a card of introduction, which will normally permit entry during the early afternoon. Embassies and High Commissions may issue no more than four cards on any day, so visitors from certain countries may find cards are booked for several weeks ahead. Please note that such cards do not guarantee entry at 14.30 or 11.30. Quite often, it will not be possible to admit their bearers until after Question Time - that is, after 15.30 or 12.30. British embassies abroad do not issue such cards.

Australian and Canadian visitors may apply to the London office of their province or state as an alternative to their High Commission.

People from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, British colonies and Commonwealth territories unrepresented in London may apply to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (020 7219 5378) for tickets.

If none of these arrangements have been made, visitors may join the public queue outside St Stephen's Entrance. A wait of 1 or 2 hours is common during the afternoons. Generally speaking, after ticket holders have left the Gallery and the afternoon queue has been cleared, there is not, except during controversial debates, too much pressure on places in the Gallery. Visitors who wish to minimise waiting times should therefore arrive at about 16.00 or later on Mondays, and 13.00 or later on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The House of Commons Information Office can advise what is to be debated.

Attending on Fridays

It is usually fairly easy to get into the Gallery on sitting Fridays. Advance bookings for Fridays, through Members of Parliament, may be made; but it is normally possible to enter the Gallery, without queuing, at the start of the day's proceedings. Later in the day, a queue tends to develop and some delay is probable.

The House does not sit every Friday. The House of Commons will sit on the following Fridays in 2004/05:
4 & 25 February; 4 & 18 March; 8, 15 & 22 April; 13 & 20 May; 17 & 24 June; 1 July; 14 October.

Attending Sittings of the House in Westminster Hall

Sittings in Westminster Hall take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 09.30 to 11.30 and 14.00 to 16.30, and on Thursdays from 14.30 to 17.30. Finishing times in the afternoon may be later in certain circumstances. Places are limited; there is no system of tickets or advance booking. Visitors who wish to attend a sitting should go to St Stephen's Entrance, where they will be admitted on a first come, first served basis.

Attending meetings of Committees

Select and Standing Committees meet throughout the week, although not usually on Fridays. Places are limited and there is no system of tickets or advance booking. The Information Office can advise when and where meetings will take place. This information is also available on the Commons Committee Homepage of the UK Parliament website at http://www.parliament.uk/what_s_on/hoc_news3.cfm. Only evidence-taking sessions of Select Committees are normally open to the public.

Directions

In most cases visitors should go to St Stephen's Entrance, where they will be shown by the Police to a queue, or directly up to the Gallery or Committee Room as the case may be. St Stephen's Entrance is at the centre of the Palace of Westminster, opposite the east end of Westminster Abbey. The nearest Underground Station is Westminster; Buses 3, 11, 12, 24, 53, 77A, 88, 148, 159, 211 and 453 all stop nearby. Car parking is not available for visitors; there is, however, a NCP car park (charges are payable) off Abingdon Street (near Victoria Tower). This is often full and, as meter parking around Westminster is scarce and expensive, visitors are advised to travel by public transport.

Some Committee meetings are held in Portcullis House, above Westminster Underground Station. The entrance to Portcullis House is on Victoria Embankment, facing the river.

Tours of the Houses of Parliament

This information sheet provides information on touring the Houses of Parliament. There are different arrangements for when Parliament is or is not sitting.

Details of how to visit the Gallery in order to watch a debate in the House of Commons are available in a separate information sheet available from the House of Commons Information Office.

Tours for United Kingdom Residents - during session

People resident in this country should contact their local Member of Parliament or a Peer whom they know. If you are unsure of your local Member of Parliament's details please contact the House of Commons Information Office or see our constituency locator service on the Internet at: http://www.locata.co.uk/commons. Applications for tours can be made up to six months prior to the intended tour date. There is no charge for tours arranged through a Member of Parliament or a Peer of the House of Lords.

The address for contacting MPs is:

House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA

At present, tours are available at the following times:

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings: 09.00 - 12 noon

Friday afternoons (15.30 - 17.00) if the House is sitting, or all day Friday (09.30 - 17.00) if not.

Please note that on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, there will be no access to the Commons chamber after 09.30.

The following Fridays have been announced as sitting Fridays in 2004/05:

4 & 25 February; 4 & 18 March; 8, 15 & 22 April; 13 & 20 May; 17 & 24 June; 1 July; 14 October.

Tours for United Kingdom Residents - during recess

Tours take place Monday to Friday between 09.30 - 17.00 during all recesses except Christmas and Summer (see below).

During the Christmas recess, tours are not expected to be available from Tuesday 21 December 2004 until Monday 3 January 2005 (inclusive).

During the Summer recess tours take place during:

At other times Monday - Saturday during the Summer recess the Palace is open to the paying public during the annual Summer Opening.

The provisional recess dates announced for this year are:

Overseas Visitors

Due to the recent changes in the sitting hours of both Houses, it is no longer possible to provide overseas visitors with permits to tour the Houses of Parliament during session. We apologise for any disappointment this may cause. Overseas visitors can tour the Houses of Parliament during the period of the Summer Opening.

Overseas visitors are still able to attend debates. There is a separate information sheet, as mentioned above, available from the House of Commons Information Office, which gives details of how to visit the Gallery in order to watch a debate in the House of Commons.

Summer Opening of Parliament 2005

Further details of the Summer Opening, including ticketing arrangements, will be available nearer the time and will also be published on the UK Parliament website's 'Visiting Parliament' pages at http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting.cfm.

Educational Institutions

Schools or other educational institutions based in this country should normally contact their local MP to arrange a tour of the Houses of Parliament. However, the Parliamentary Education Unit offers a range of educational visits for students Yrs 3 - 10 (ages 7 - 15) throughout the year. Visits for older students Yrs 11 - 13 (ages 16 - 19) take place in the autumn and this programme is advertised in the TES each March. Teachers and others wishing to participate are advised to contact the Parliamentary Education Unit early for further details on all visit programmes.

For all other educational visits, organisers should write to their local MP. An information leaflet, Educational Visits to Parliament, is available from the Parliamentary Education Unit on request.

The contact details for the Parliamentary Education Unit are:

Parliamentary Education Unit

Norman Shaw Building (North)

London, SW1A 2TT

Telephone: 020 7219 2105

E-mail: edunit@parliament.uk

Fax: 020 7219 0818