Miscellaneous
72. Following the rejection by the House of Commons
in May 1999 of an initial proposal that the Line of Route through
the Palace of Westminster should be opened to the public during
the summer recess, a revised proposal was approved by the Finance
and Staff and Administration and Works Sub-Committees in February
2000. The Line of Route will accordingly be open to visitors in
escorted groups with qualified guides for seven weeks in August
and September 2000. Visitors will pay a small charge; and the
House of Lords share of the net operating deficit which will fall
on the Administration Vote is estimated at £94,000.
73. Work was undertaken for an exhibition in
Westminster Hall on the theme "Voters of the Future",
which opened in April 2000. This exhibition represents the contribution
of the two Houses of Parliament to the "String of Pearls"
Millennium Festival during which many of the institutions along
the River Thames have opened their doors to the public in the
year 2000.
74. The Finance and Staff Sub-Committee approved
a five year project, to be completed in 2005, to set up a single
comprehensive on-line archival catalogue in the Record Office
which will enable participation in the proposed national archive
network.
75. A review took place of the arrangements for
medical services available to the House. Defibrillators were installed
in the Palace and in 1 The Abbey Garden.
History of
Parliament Trust
76. The principal activity of the History of
Parliament Trust to date has been to research and publish a history
of the House of Commons from the year 1386. Following a decision
by the Trust to extend its work to include the House of Lords,
preliminary work has been undertaken on a section covering the
years 1660 to 1832. An editor and ancillary staff were appointed
and detailed research will begin later in 2000. The first financial
contribution by the House towards the cost of the Trust, reflecting
the level of academic resources devoted to work on the House of
Lords, was made during the year.