Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether Historic England, SAVE Britain’s Heritage and Buckingham Palace were consulted on the specific design of the new security fence outside the House of Lords.

The safety and security of all those who work on and visit the Parliamentary Estate is a top priority. I am informed that Parliamentary authorities carefully considered the importance of improving safety on the Parliamentary Estate alongside their need to protect the Palace of Westminster and its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is vital to ensure that this iconic building is safeguarded for future generations to visit and enjoy.

Historic England is a statutory consultee and was included as part of pre-application discussions and consulted by Westminster City Council, as part of the application.

Neither SAVE Britain’s Heritage nor Buckingham Palace are statutory consultees and therefore were not consulted as part of the planning process.