Fury Over Plan For Movie Making In Parliament

A parliamentary committee has sparked controversy by approving a move to allow movie and TV makers to use the Palace of Westminster as a film set.

The proposal will pave the way for Hollywood blockbusters to be made inside Parliament for the first time.

Tory Robert Halfon said the plans would effectively turn Westminster into a "theme park".

He said: "I think it is a hugely short-sighted mistake to allow this to happen.

"It is not a tourist resort. This is Parliament. It should be free for the people."

The plans still have to be approved by another body but Mr Halfon said the senior committee chaired by the Speaker would simply "rubber-stamp" the proposals.

The move is designed to help cut the costs of running the Commons. Experts have said that film studios could pay sums of £10,000 a day to hire the famous buildings.

While cameras are currently allowed into Westminster to record and broadcast political proceedings, filming for commercial purposes is banned.

The proposal forms part of a drive to reduce the Commons' costs by 17% by 2015 and is one of a number of ideas put forward to achieve that.

It was agreed following a vote by the House of Commons Administration Committee which has recommended the move to the House of Commons Commission.

The Commission is made up of senior MPs with speaker John Bercow in the chair and has overall responsibility for the administration of the Commons.

Mr Halfon added: "I think it is a really sad day for our Parliament if it becomes a theme park.

"Parliament is different to anywhere else and I think you have to treat it as a very special place."

A House of Commons spokesman said: "The House of Commons Administration Committee has agreed to recommend to the commission that we should offer the Commons estate for filming when the House isn't sitting.

"The commission will be looking at it towards the end of July."

Plans were set out last year to achieve annual revenue of £3m in a House of Commons finance and services committee report.

This involved proposals to hire out the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, as a film set.

It came after Mr Halfon called a debate and won a U-turn on a plan to charge visitors £15 a time to climb the clock tower.