Yahoo News Westminster terror attack raises parliamentary security questions
In the wake of the terrorist attack on Parliament, there will questions raised again about security at the Palace of Westminster and the public's access to MPs.
Telegraph political correspondent Ben Riley-Smith, who saw the aftermath of the terror attack from Telegraph's office on the top floor of the Houses of Parliament, said while the parameter was breached, the attacker "barely got beyond a dozen steps" inside before being held back.
He said there will be two areas that any review would likely focus on.
"The first is this entrance on Parliament Square into Parliament Yard. It is quite often open, all be it manned by a number of policemen. I think there will now be questions as to whether this can continue to be open often.
"If ultimately if you are able to run as a member of the public into Parliament, clearly that is an area they are going to look at.
"And another is the security parameter around Parliament. Part of this horrific incident was on Westminster Bridge, where you had a car that appears to have mounted the pavement and injured more than a dozen people. Do they need to widen out that security parameter?"
He said that despite this there is a big call to defend people's access to MPs, which lies at the heart of parliamentary system
"Yes we need protect Parliament and parliamentarians but we also need to make sure it does remain open to the public, that they can come an meet their MP, lobby them, talk about issues."
