Guide to Parliament
General Information
Raising matters in the House
If you have a problem or concern I will usually take matters up with the Government Minister or relevant department on your behalf, and the issue remains confidential.
As a Government Whip I have regular meetings with Ministers and Departmental Staff and this gives me the opportunity to ensure concerns constituents may have are discussed.
Early Day Motions - At other times, some MPs may prefer to draw attention to the matter by what is called an Early Day Motion. Although EDMs are very rarely debated, an MP will have placed on record his or her opinion on a subject and is able to gauge the support of his or her fellow MPs (see Factsheet P3).
As a Government Whip I cannot sign Early Day Motions.
Petitions
If you and other people feel strongly about a certain issue, you may decide to organise a petition to the House of Commons. Your petition can only be presented by an MP and must be arranged in a particular format (see Factsheet P7). You can obtain advice on this by writing to the:
Clerk of Public Petitions,
Journal Office,
House of Commons,
London
SW1A 0AA (see also Factsheet P7)
Campaigns and lobbying
MPs are often contacted by constituents campaigning on behalf of a particular cause, perhaps representing an organised pressure group. It will be for your MP to decide whether to take any action. Anyone who is intending to organise a 'mass lobby' to the House of Commons must contact the Serjeant at Arms Department (020-7219 3060) well in advance.
Visiting Westminster
Guided tours of the building take place during the Summer Recess: more details are given on the parliament website.
At other times, you must contact your MP to obtain a permit. Times and numbers are limited so, consequently, there is great demand for tours and you will need to contact me to make the necessary arrangements well in advance , three to four months ahead - and should be as flexible as possible in choice of date. Constituents are not admitted for tours of the building unless they have made a booking through their MP.
MPs have only two tickets approximately every ten days to give to constituents for the Strangers' Gallery and tickets from MPs are the only way to secure entry for such popular sessions as Question Time. Tickets are not always necessary if you can visit at an off peak time. Further information in the form of a leaflet regarding gallery visits is available on request from the House of Commons Information Office and on the Parliament Internet Site: www.parliament.uk/factsheets