Written question asked by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Conservative) on Thursday, 5 March 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 March 2026. It was answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Non-affiliated) on Wednesday, 18 March 2026 on behalf of the Senior Deputy Speaker (HL).

House of Lords: Public Statues

Question: To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker why a tensile barrier has been present around the statue of the 1st Earl of Chatham in the content lobby of the House of Lords in recent weeks; who placed that barrier there; and for how long it is intended to remain there.

Answer: I am informed that the tensile barrier has been placed in front of the statue of the Earl of Chatham to prevent any damage during public tours of the Palace of Westminster. While it has not been possible to identify who has placed them there on each occasion, the relevant teams have been reminded to alert visitors not to touch the statues and for the barriers to be removed once public tours have concluded. The tensile barrier originally in front of the statue will be replaced with a rope barrier as soon as is practical.

Secondary information