Public Service students at the Houses of Parliament

This post was published on the 31st October 2012
Written by Zaibun Arab
Published in the marketing blog

Students were first taken to the House of Lords where members debated about the wellbeing of children. From the gallery they listened to the debate being discussed as well as admiring the historical architecture of the second chamber. Students learnt that Lords who had an interest in the topic being discussed would attend and have a certain amount of time to voice their opinion.

Leaving the House of Lords they entered the Central Lobby, which was the central point between the House of Lords and the House of Commons. They were told that the Lobby is a place of correspondence where visitors can meet their MP or a Lord. From the Lobby the tour guide lead the students to the House of Commons. There were no debates taking place which meant students had the opportunity to stand in the House of Commons where the tour guide explained the role of the elected house. Students thought it was a good idea to be quizzed on our political knowledge, which made the tour interactive and very interesting.

After visiting the Noes Lobby and Westminster Hall, students were taken to the second part of their tour, the Collision Workshop. They were split into two parties who were trying to form a collision; they had the task of convincing the other party to push their manifesto forward. Students were being tested for their negotiation and presentation skills.

This was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about how the Houses of Parliament function, whilst bringing the subject to life Steve Grant, Public Services tutor.