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How to arrange gallery tickets
Added: 13 March 2009
Update 31 May 2010:
this guide is now out of date and we are working on a replacement.
Meanwhile see:
www.w4mp.org/html/eni/2010q2/20100606_gallery.asp.
Question Time takes place from Mondays to Thursdays (2.30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 11.30am on Wednesdays, followed by Prime Minister’s Questions, and 10.30am on Thursdays).
PMQs (Prime Minister’s Questions) take place every Wednesday from midday for half an hour. Tickets are normally highly sought after and constituents love coming up to experience the Westminster action, (especially if they live close to London).
NB: the links to the intranet shown below will only work if you are currently working within the intranet.
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If a constituent wishes to watch a debate or question time, you will need to book or find tickets. Make sure that you know what dates they would prefer, and warn them that if it is very short notice, that it might not be possible. If you have a choice, pick the latest date, as it gives more time to obtain tickets and they are more likely to be available.
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Check the Gallery Ticket allocation list to see if your MP has already been allocated some on that day (unlikely) and if so make sure these haven’t already been promised to someone else. You can find the chart for 2009 online here: http://intranet.parliament.uk/intranet/chamber-committees/assets/ALLOCATION-LIST-2009.doc
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You can also ask other MPs if they will give you their allocation of tickets – again check the chart to see who has tickets and when – but this normally requires a certain amount of swapping and haggling. If you get tickets in this way, don’t forget to make sure they are passed onto you.
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It is quite easy to get tickets for other days as long as you apply a long time in advance. You will first need to download an application form from here: http://intranet.parliament.uk/intranet/chamber-committees/assets/Gallery-Ticket-Request-Form.doc. Then fill in the dates, time and number of tickets required. You can apply for six tickets for normal question times and two for PMQs. Mondays and Tuesdays are always 2.30pm, Wednesdays 11.30am, Thursdays 10:30am and Fridays 9:30am. People understandably prefer PMQs but will sometimes be happy with normal departmental question time. The Order of Questions can be found here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmwib/wb090228/order.htm.
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Tip: where it says signature for your MP, you can just write in their name and email it back as an attachment to AOO on the global address list, they do not need to sign it (or write pp. and your name).
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You will, however, always need to fill in the full name and address of one of the people who will be using the tickets (i.e. a teacher if it’s a school visit, but it can be the school address).
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Patrick and Sylvia work in the Admissions Order Office (AOO) on 020 7219 3700 and are lovely, so it is always worth explaining nicely exactly what your problem is and asking for their help, they try to be as accommodating as possible within the rules.
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If you’ve still been unable to get tickets for PMQs than its worth ringing in the morning and checking if they’ve had any handed back. In theory you have to queue from 11am when unclaimed tickets are released (get there early) but if you ring enough and are nice enough you can sometimes get them earlier in the day. (If your MP is particularly keen to get tickets then they can also queue and will get priority over staff.)
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It is also possible to put your name on a waiting list in the Admission Order Office from the Thursday before the relevant Question time, but this does not operate on Wednesdays. Visitors can also always wait in the public queue but there’s absolutely no way they’ll get PMQs tickets this way, it is only likely to work for sittings later in the day or some of the less popular departmental questions and should not be relied upon.
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If it’s a school visit and you’ve run out of options you can ring the Education Unit on 0207 219 4750/2375 and they sometimes have tickets reserved for schoolchildren.
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If someone known to your MP would like tickets and they have run out then you can apply for seats in front of the security screen (which is also far more interesting as you get a better view and can hear what’s going on away from the microphones). There aren’t many of these so you’ll need to check with the AOO that there is space and then download the form from here: http://intranet.parliament.uk/intranet/chamber-committees/assets/speakerautherisationform.doc.It will need filling in in a similar manner to the normal form. The difference is that this form has to be signed properly by your MP and taken to the AOO personally by them. This can take some doing and you will have to pester them repeatedly to make sure they do it (it’s worth checking with the AOO that it actually made it there after it left your office).
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In addition, wives and families of MPs can often use Speaker’s Allocation of tickets. You’ll need to ring the Speaker’s Office on 020 7219 5300 to see if they are willing to do this and if they have any space. It is only allowed for close family of Members.
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Once you’ve managed to get tickets you can either pick them up from the AOO closer to the time, or give your constituents directions to do so themselves when they arrive. Either way you will need to ask the visitors to come to the Cromwell Green Visitors Entrance around 45 minutes before the Question Time begins in order to allow for security. They can then wait in Central Lobby and watch Speaker’s Procession, when the Speaker and the mace – the symbol of the Queen in Parliament – make their way into the Chamber and which is pretty exciting for the first time.
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Make sure the visitors have a contact number for your office (and that you have a contact number for them on the day) in case it all goes terribly wrong (when it does, don’t worry, you’re not the first, just grovel and do everything you can to put it right/make it less bad).
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If you need it more information can be found here: http://intranet.parliament.uk/intranet/chamber-committees/assets/Admission-to-the-Galleries-Leaflet.pdf
If you are reading this and are a constituent who is interested in obtaining gallery tickets, contact your MP's office direct. Don’t know where to find it? You can search here: http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/commons/l/.
SD/March 2009
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