Visitor Access and Facilities in the House of Commons

Written evidence submitted by Eileen Rochelle Hauptman M.I.T.G. (VA 04)

Until I received your letter dated 17th October 2011 I was unaware of the Administration Committee’s information gathering regarding Visitor Access and Facilities in the House of Commons. Having read the transcripts available and from what I saw and heard at the last meeting it was obvious that none of my colleagues nor I were aware of this research.

As the people working in close proximity with visitors on "The Line of Route Tours"

I express my concern at their not being included.

Imagine my dismay when in trying to collate these recent documents - discussions have been in hand since 2010. Time has not allowed for sufficient scrutiny of the documents in detail and so I am writing on certain points only. If we guides had been advised of this research then we could have contributed time to discuss, collate, and provide your committee with information and facts in writing which would have been on behalf of a group totalling approximately two hundred qualified tourist guides. With each of us working with some 26 visitors per tour four times a day per when you are in recess, our input would no doubt have assisted in your deliberations.

Giving visitors a fully qualified tourist guide who holds extra qualifications for Parliament with experience of how to interpret, encourage and interest the public from all over the world should not be underestimated. For the local population we hope to be a catalyst to stimulate their interest. The same applies to those from overseas and in particular for those from countries who do not enjoy our freedoms.

I would suggest that visitors want to be shown around Parliament with full explanations and they want to be able to talk to us and ask questions with the personal interaction of a live guide, and at the Mother of Parliaments they should be afforded this is as a minimum.

I have forwarded the information I have learned about the Committee’s work to my colleagues in Tour Guides Limited - they are the company responsible for providing the Blue Badge Guides to Parliament during the last 12 years. They had not been made aware of the Committee’s need to liaise with all interested parties and like me were surprised and disappointed that they had been excluded from these talks. They are preparing a report to send to you with their observations and comments.

With regard to other issues, such as the shop and café facilities, you will find that guides have valuable contributions to make, as we are the people in direct contact with the visitors for the whole of their 75 minute tour of Parliament, and in any future representations from guides I and my colleagues will be very pleased to take these issues forward.

I hope you find this letter helpful and I look forward to hearing from you.

November 2011