WSTMINSTER DIARY

SOME members of the LetSanify team journey to London to spend a day in Westminster, as guests of Lord Goddard of Stockport, a supporter and advisor to the business.

The agenda included discussions about export opportunities and also combined a celebration of the 10^th anniversary of the England-China Business Forum.

Lord David Goddard was an engineer by profession and was appointed as a Liberal Democrat peer in 2014. He has been providing his expertise on how best to make Government aware of the many benefits of HOCL based disinfectants and cleaners, compared with traditional products that contain alcohol and chemicals.

As well as eating like Lords and Ladies in the excellent House of Lords Dining Room there was an opportunity to have afternoon tea and enjoy the sunshine on the terrace.

Lord Goddard also gave a private tour of both Houses of Parliament, including the opportunity to visit the chambers of both houses. The Commons with its green benches is what most people will be more familiar with having seen it on television with Prime Minister’s questions and on other big parliamentary occasions.

Rebuilt after being damaged in a German bombing raid in World War Two, the Commons chamber is much smaller and less opulent than the red benches of the upper house where the Monarch undertakes the state opening of parliament.

Queen Victoria was a small lady and sitting on the throne in the chamber her legs would dangle rather than reach the floor and so a saw was taken to the legs of the Monarch’s chair.

In days gone by there was only one speaker, who was required to be in place all the time that the House of Commons was in session. This could be many hours and in order to accommodate the demands of nature, there were curtains that could be pulled around the speaker to provide some privacy during a personal needs break. Now the speaker will have a deputy to take his or her place, relegating the curtains to a historic curiosity.