The protest camp in Parliament Square is a "national embarrassment" that is "permanently disfiguring" London, senior Tories said today.

The protest camp in Parliament Square is a "national embarrassment" that is "permanently disfiguring" London, senior Tories said today.

Shadow Commons leader Alan Duncan and Sir Patrick Cormack urged the Government to ban the "grotty" and "squalid" row of tents from outside the Palace of Westminster.

During exchanges on coming parliamentary business, Mr Duncan told Commons Leader Harriet Harman: "The permanent encampment in Parliament Square has become a national embarrassment. It's a total abuse of legitimate right to protest.

"Will you make a statement on what plans you have to bang heads together in the various committees of this House to rid ourselves of this grotty eyesore and restore some dignity to the appearance of this iconic seat of democracy?"

Mr Duncan hit the headlines last summer when a female protester on Parliament Square was found guilty of his harassment. Barbara Tucker crossed the road as Mr Duncan waited for a taxi and used a loudhailer to call him a "war criminal".

After Ms Harman did not reply to Mr Duncan's specific point on protestors, Sir Patrick (Staffordshire S) later called for a debate on "freedom of speech and political demonstration".

He said: "Whilst it is absolutely important that people should be free to demonstrate outside Parliament peacefully, to lobby Parliament, it is quite wrong that there should be a squalid encampment permanently disfiguring the centre of our great capital city."

Ms Harman agreed that it was a "matter of concern" and said Justice Secretary Jack Straw was currently considering the situation under the "general heading of constitutional renewal".

She said: "It's a question of the balance between freedom of speech and the right to demonstrate. This involves the City of Westminster police, it involves the Mayor of London, it involves the House authorities."

Ms Harman told Mr Duncan and Sir Patrick that she would bring their views to the attention of Mr Straw.

Tory Bernard Jenkin (Essex N) later briefly spoke of the need to treat demonstrators "with respect".

The most well-known Parliament Square protester, Brian Haw, has camped there since 2001.

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 bans all unlicensed protests on Parliament Square.

Anti-war campaigner Mr Haw is allowed to continue living in a tent outside Parliament because his protests precede the date on which the laws were instigated.