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

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 13.00 or later. 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 inevitable.

The House does not sit every Friday. The House of Commons will sit on the following Fridays in 2003/04:

30 January, 6 & 27 February, 5,12 & 26 March, 23 & 30 April, 14 & 21 May, 18 June, 16 July and 15 October

Attending Sittings of the House in Westminster Hall

Sittings in Westminster Hall take place on Tuesdays and Wednesday from 0930 - 1130 & 1400 - 1630 and from 1400 to around 1700 and from 1430 to around 1730 on Thursdays. 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. 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. Some Committee meetings are held in Portcullis House, above Westminster Tube Station. The nearest Underground Station is Westminster; Buses - 3, 11, 12, 24, 53, 77A, 88, 109, 159, 184 and 511. Car parking is not available for visitors; there is, however, a NCP car park (fee) 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.

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 Parliaments 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 should be made as far in advance as possible. The address for contacting MPs is:

House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA

At present, tours are available on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and on Fridays - all day if the Commons are not sitting, late afternoon if they are. There will be no access to the Commons chamber after 09.30 on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Overseas Visitors - during session

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, available from the House of Commons Information Office, which gives details of how to visit the galleries in order to watch a debate in the House of Commons

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 years 3 - 10 throughout the year. Visits for older students (KS4) 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

Tours during Recess

The provisional recess dates announced for this year are:

Special arrangements are put in place during Summer Recess. The Palace of Westminster opens in the summer to visitors who can go on pre booked tours of the historic building. Further details of the Summer Opening, including ticketing arrangements, will be available nearer the time.