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<p>Yes, Black Rod was consulted on the closure of College Green. The Green is owned
by the House of Commons but day to day access is delegated by the Clerk of the House
to Black Rod. Current policy is to allow public access to the Green to enable the
public to pass through on the paths or to use it as a recreational space. It is also
longstanding policy also to allow the media to use the Green for the contemporaneous
news reporting of events within Parliament. Broadcasters are not charged to use the
Green as is it considered to be in Parliament’s and the national interest that they
should be facilitated to report on Parliament. As the Green is owned by the House
of Commons, the question of charging would be a matter for them, not the House of
Lords.</p>
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