PRESIDING OFFICER'S GUIDANCE ON BEHAVIOUR FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
1. Rule 15.2 of the Standing Orders requires members of the public admitted to the public gallery during any meeting of the Parliament or to any Committee meeting to comply with such reasonable conditions as the Presiding Officer may determine and notify to them. The Presiding Officer has decided as follows:
Members of the public admitted to the public gallery during any meeting of the Parliament must:
respect their surroundings and behave in an orderly manner at all times;
be silent when proceedings are under way;
obey any instructions given to them by staff of the Parliament;
not eat, drink or smoke;
refrain from dropping or throwing objects from the gallery;
not display any banners or slogans;
switch off mobile phones, pagers, laptops and hand-held computers;
not sing or whistle or make or play recorded or broadcast sounds of any kind;
not take photographs, sound or video recordings;
not paint, draw or sketch without the prior authorisation of the Presiding Officer;
enter and leave quietly.
2. These conditions will apply to members of the public admitted to Committee meetings.