Public Engagement

As part of our Programme, we are considering how best to make the Palace of Westminster more inclusive and welcoming and more environmentally sustainable. We are also looking at how best to preserve and celebrate the building’s unique heritage, and how our Programme can create jobs and build skills across the whole of the United Kingdom.

During June and July 2021, we asked the public to share their thoughts and ideas on key topics including access and inclusion, environment, heritage, and jobs and skills. These views and ideas will help to inform the detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan.

The Online Conversation is now closed, and the ideas submitted to us are being looked at and taken into account by the team working on the detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan. You can view the submitted ideas here.

Two boys look across the river to the Houses of Parliament.

As we continue to work to restore the iconic Houses of Parliament, it is important to remember that children and young people are the future custodians of this historic building.

Engaging children and young people with the complexity of the restoration of the Houses of Parliament and, importantly, seeking their views is a key focus of the Restoration and Renewal Public Engagement Programme.

Children and young people are an important audience for the Restoration and Renewal Programme - as the future voters, parliamentarians, workforce and custodians of the building, it’s imperative that they have an opportunity to participate and share their views with us.

In October 2021 we hosted family sessions and met with members of the Wigan and Leigh Youth Cabinet at the People’s History Museum Manchester as part of a Restoration and Renewal Programme ‘Take Over’ day. As the national museum of democracy, telling the story of its development in Britain: past, present, and future – the People’s History Museum was the perfect place to explore the future of the Palace of Westminster with children, young people and families.

The children's and young people’s ideas will be shared with the Restoration and Renewal programme, as part of a wider programme of public engagement initiatives.

Find out more about People’s History Museum.

To find out what children and young people think about the Restoration and Renewal Programme, we worked with educational charity Smart School Councils, to run a series of R&R themed debates through their Big Debate Club.

Focussing on different aspects of restoration and renewal, from access to sustainability, thousands of students took part from schools across four nations of the UK, during the summer term 2021.  Considering both the opportunities and challenges restoration and renewal presents, students expressed their opinions and perspectives on the importance of this historic restoration.  

You can view all the results of the R&R themed Big Debate Clubs, watch the videos and access all the free supporting materials online.

Debate library

How important is it that the Houses of Parliament Building is protected and saved for future generations?

How important is it that the Houses of Parliament building sets an example for protecting the environment?

How important is it for people to be able to visit the Houses of Parliament building?

As part of our Public Engagement Strategy, the Restoration & Renewal Programme wanted to proactively reach out to those who may be less likely to participate, to make sure there is an understanding of the public’s views overall. In particular, we wanted to hear from people from groups which evidence shows are less likely to engage with the work of Parliament and formal politics. This is helping to ensure we consider the views of people who may be less likely to currently visit or work in the building.

We worked with democratic participation charity Involve to hold 16 in-depth conversations with grassroots community-based organisations across the UK. Overall, 300 people took part in these workshops, representing around 600 hours of deliberations and feedback. The findings have been collated into a report which is available on the Involve website.