Written question asked by Bob Spink (Conservative) on Tuesday, 21 December 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 18 January 2005. It was answered by Ivor Caplin (Labour) on Tuesday, 18 January 2005 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to allow visits by the public to the Victoria Cross memorial and other areas of his Department's building in Whitehall; and if he will make a statement. - Inc ref to MOD website.

Answer: Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to allow visits by the public to the Victoria Cross memorial and other areas of his Department's building in Whitehall; and if he will make a statement. [206970] Mr. Caplin: Visits by small groups of members of the public to certain areas of the Ministry of Defence's Main Building in Whitehall, such as the Victoria Cross and George Cross Memorial and the Henry VIII Wine Cellar, will be possible but only by prior arrangement and as security circumstances permit. Considerations of safety and security preclude open access and may lead to pre-arranged visits being cancelled at short notice. Groups wishing to visit should apply via the `Visiting Ministry of Defence Properties' section of the MOD website: http://www.mod.uk/aboutus/visits/ Pictures of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Memorial can be found on the Defence Image Database: http://www.photos.mod.uk

Secondary information