I have continued to offer Northampton North residents the opportunity to visit the Houses of Parliament.
Nearly fifty residents of Northampton North were the latest group to accept my invitation to visit Parliament for a tour of the Palace of Westminster. I have now been able to arrange a total of five full coaches on four separate occasions and for the cost price of about £11, each visitor has been transported from Northampton to Westminster and back, and gets a free 75 minute tour from a professional guide. Visitors also get time to explore the immediate area, have a 45 minute Question and Answer session with me, and visit the Parliamentary gift shop. The price paid goes solely to covering the cost of the coach, no profit is made.
You may have read in the press that the buildings, particularly the older parts of the Palace of Westminster, are in urgent need of extensive renovation. With electrical wiring and plumbing some 70 years old, it is possible this old building may have to be vacated for several years, so that extensive repairs can be carried out to preserve this important and historic building for the nation.
Before that happens, I am trying to take as many of my constituents as possible who are interested in visiting to see and experience the Parliament building, arranging coach tours for groups of constituents to come to London for a free tour.