Lunch at the House of Lords

Smallman & Son is heading off to the House of Lords on 7 October for the annual Forum for the Built Environment (fbe) lunch. This is a fantastic networking event for the construction industry and is also held in one of the most the most iconic and significant buildings in the world – The Palace of Westminster.

Home to both the House of Lords and House of Commons, this is apparently one of the busiest parliaments, with more than a million people, including 100,000 school children, passing through its doors each year.

The Palace is now considered to be one of the finest examples of 19th century neo-gothic Victorian architecture in the world and became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Following the destruction by fire of the old royal palace in 1834, a competition for the design of the new Palace of Westminster was launched by the government and the winner was Charles Barry, assisted by Augustus Welby Pugin. Although designed specifically for Parliament the building is still a Royal Palace. In 1965 the Queen confirmed that its use should be permanently enjoyed by Parliament. In 1992 responsibility for maintaining the Palace was transferred from the government to Parliament.

Hosted by The Lord Howie of Troon, the guest speaker for the fbe lunch is former Minister Steven Norris, now both a board member and strategic adviser to a number of companies in the transport, infrastructure and property sectors. Appointed Minister for Transport with a special responsibility for London in 1992, Steven’s five years in the role sparked his great passions; a love of London as his adopted city and an obsession with infrastructure and the value of quality in the built environment.