Points of Order — Chamber, Lobbies, and Galleries—Photography

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. It’s been brought to my attention that a photograph has been posted on social media of the Chamber, which was taken by a stranger in the gallery and passed to the member the Hon Iain Lees-Galloway. This raises three points: firstly, there have been some very strict guidelines given about the appropriateness of taking photos in the Chamber; secondly, while the photo itself wasn’t taken in the Chamber but from the gallery, that is also in breach of the rules of this House; and, thirdly, the specific purpose of the photo was to draw attention to the absence of members. Normally, Speakers’ rulings would refer to the absence of individual members, but in this case it was to a group or class of members. So I would just ask you to consider these breaches, but also to remind the House of the very important reasons why that is inappropriate behaviour.

Yes. In fact, I correct the member—they’re not guidelines; they’re actually Standing Orders. There are very strict rules: nobody takes photos without the permission of the Speaker. If that has happened and someone has used that in social media, my advice to them is that they delete that immediately, and we will refer this to the Speaker. But it is very clear, in Appendix D of the Standing Orders and then the Speakers’ rulings, that the Speaker has to give permission for any photographs taken of this House in action.