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106090

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2014
	answering body	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept id	91
	answering dept short name	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept sort name	Members Estimate Committee
	hansard heading	Members: Allowances
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the Members Estimate Committee, when it was determined to shred documentation on expenses claims submitted by hon. Members before 2010; and at what committee or decision-making body such a decision was taken.
	tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
	tabling member printed	John Mann
	uin	213008
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The House of Commons Commission (which was responsible for Members Estimate matters prior to the establishment of the Members Estimate Committee in 2004) agreed at its meeting of 21 October 2002 to implement a retention policy for financial papers, which would entail detailed claims, receipts, invoices and warrants being retained for three years after the end of the year of the transaction. This included documentation relating to Members’ allowances. The policy was incorporated into the Authorised Records Disposal Practice (ARDP) produced by the Parliamentary Archives and made available to Members and staff of both Houses on the parliamentary intranet in 2004. Decisions made by the House of Commons Commission and the Members Estimate Committee are published on the Parliament website.</p><p>Destruction of these records was paused in 2010 pending the conclusion of police inquiries, but was restarted on the previous basis in 2012 once legal proceedings were concluded. The only documentation destroyed in the last 12 months in relation to Members’ expenses has been background information to support claims, which was no longer needed after the 2010 general election when the House ceased to be responsible for expenses claims. This was done in April 2014.</p><p>While the original financial documents relating to MPs’ expenses were destroyed in compliance with the Authorised Records Disposal Policy (ARDP), more than a million documents and receipts, with some personal information redacted, were published online and subsequently updated. This information remains available on the Parliament website at: <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso grouped question UIN 213009 213010 question first answered 06/11/2014 15:11:56 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

106091

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2014
	answering body	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept id	91
	answering dept short name	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept sort name	Members Estimate Committee
	hansard heading	Members: Allowances
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the Members Estimate Committee, which documentation relating to expenses claims submitted by hon. Members in which years have been shredded in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
	tabling member printed	John Mann
	uin	213009
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The House of Commons Commission (which was responsible for Members Estimate matters prior to the establishment of the Members Estimate Committee in 2004) agreed at its meeting of 21 October 2002 to implement a retention policy for financial papers, which would entail detailed claims, receipts, invoices and warrants being retained for three years after the end of the year of the transaction. This included documentation relating to Members’ allowances. The policy was incorporated into the Authorised Records Disposal Practice (ARDP) produced by the Parliamentary Archives and made available to Members and staff of both Houses on the parliamentary intranet in 2004. Decisions made by the House of Commons Commission and the Members Estimate Committee are published on the Parliament website.</p><p>Destruction of these records was paused in 2010 pending the conclusion of police inquiries, but was restarted on the previous basis in 2012 once legal proceedings were concluded. The only documentation destroyed in the last 12 months in relation to Members’ expenses has been background information to support claims, which was no longer needed after the 2010 general election when the House ceased to be responsible for expenses claims. This was done in April 2014.</p><p>While the original financial documents relating to MPs’ expenses were destroyed in compliance with the Authorised Records Disposal Policy (ARDP), more than a million documents and receipts, with some personal information redacted, were published online and subsequently updated. This information remains available on the Parliament website at: <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso grouped question UIN 213008 213010 question first answered 06/11/2014 15:11:56 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

106092

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2014
	answering body	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept id	91
	answering dept short name	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept sort name	Members Estimate Committee
	hansard heading	Members: Allowances
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the Members Estimate Committee, when the decision to destroy documentation relating to hon. Members' expenses claims from before 2010 was reported to the House.
	tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
	tabling member printed	John Mann
	uin	213010
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The House of Commons Commission (which was responsible for Members Estimate matters prior to the establishment of the Members Estimate Committee in 2004) agreed at its meeting of 21 October 2002 to implement a retention policy for financial papers, which would entail detailed claims, receipts, invoices and warrants being retained for three years after the end of the year of the transaction. This included documentation relating to Members’ allowances. The policy was incorporated into the Authorised Records Disposal Practice (ARDP) produced by the Parliamentary Archives and made available to Members and staff of both Houses on the parliamentary intranet in 2004. Decisions made by the House of Commons Commission and the Members Estimate Committee are published on the Parliament website.</p><p>Destruction of these records was paused in 2010 pending the conclusion of police inquiries, but was restarted on the previous basis in 2012 once legal proceedings were concluded. The only documentation destroyed in the last 12 months in relation to Members’ expenses has been background information to support claims, which was no longer needed after the 2010 general election when the House ceased to be responsible for expenses claims. This was done in April 2014.</p><p>While the original financial documents relating to MPs’ expenses were destroyed in compliance with the Authorised Records Disposal Policy (ARDP), more than a million documents and receipts, with some personal information redacted, were published online and subsequently updated. This information remains available on the Parliament website at: <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso grouped question UIN 213008 213009 question first answered 06/11/2014 15:11:57 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

100469

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept id	18
	answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
	hansard heading	House of Commons Commission
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what funding was (a) allocated to the Commission in 2010 and (b) will be so allocated in 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Kettering
	tabling member printed	Mr Philip Hollobone
	uin	211644
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The House of Commons Commission initially committed itself to a reduction in the Administration Resource Estimate in December 2009. The following year this was restated as an intention to reduce the Estimate to £210 million by 2014/15 from a baseline of £231 million for 2010/11.<sup>(a) </sup>Taking forecast inflation into account, this represented a reduction of 17% in real terms. In December 2013 the Commission agreed an Administration Estimate for 2014/15 of £201.3 million – allowing for transfers between Estimates and other adjustments, this was £2 million below the target set in 2010.</p><p>The Finance and Services Committee will, on Tuesday 28 October, be publishing its first report of the session, entitled <em>House of Commons Financial Plan 2015–16 to 2018–19, including draft Estimates for 2015–16</em> (HC 757), which provides further detail. I shall be approaching the Backbench Business Committee to request a debate on the report before the Committee gives its advice on the 2015/16 Estimate to the Commission in December. This would give all hon. Members a chance to discuss and contribute to the financial plan.</p><p>Note: (a) In December 2009 the Commission agreed an Estimate for 2010/11 of £258 million. However, having taken account of the transfer of staff to IPSA and various accounting adjustments, this was reduced to £231 million. Agreement of an initial, in-year savings package by the Commission in June 2010 meant that it actually laid an Estimate for 2010/11 of £219 million.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso question first answered 27/10/2014 10:29:27 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	1537 label Biography information for Mr Philip Hollobone

101182

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept id	18
	answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
	hansard heading	Serjeant at Arms
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, who the candidates were for the post of Serjeant at Arms on the last occasion on which it was advertised.
	tabling member constituency	Lichfield
	tabling member printed	Michael Fabricant
	uin	211941
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2014 answer text <p>The post of Serjeant at Arms was last advertised in 2012. The successful applicant was Lawrence Ward. Candidates applied in confidence: it is not the Commission's practice to disclose the names of the unsuccessful applicants as this would breach their expectation of confidentiality.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso question first answered 31/10/2014 10:39:13 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	280 label Biography information for Michael Fabricant

101183

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept id	18
	answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
	hansard heading	Television
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will take steps to reward the teams who have installed and successfully delivered digital television feeds including BBC local news and European Parliament, Committee Room, Welsh Assembly, and Scottish Parliament proceedings to offices on the Estate.
	tabling member constituency	Lichfield
	tabling member printed	Michael Fabricant
	uin	211942
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2014 answer text <p>The Commission acknowledges the challenges involved in changing the unique and complex system that serves over 2,200 screens across Parliament and 20 government departments, and commends the House Service for the smooth changeover. Engineering, project management, maintenance and commercial staff were involved, together with the suppliers and sub-contractors, and Parliament’s long-serving on-site Annunciator technicians. I have nothing to offer as reward beyond my heartfelt thanks.</p><p>The teams involved are delighted that this project has been singled out for acknowledgement by the hon. Member for Lichfield, and are grateful for his support in the early days of defining the system requirements, during his time on the Administration Committee.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso question first answered 31/10/2014 11:00:33 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	280 label Biography information for Michael Fabricant

155524

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2014
	answering body	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept id	18
	answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
	hansard heading	Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, how many staff employed in the House of Commons Service on 1 January 2014 earned as much or more than a hon. Member; and what the (a) posts and (b) current salaries are of such staff.
	tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
	tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
	uin	214345
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>The basic salary payable to Members was £66,396 per annum as at 1 January 2014. At that date 78 staff in the House of Commons Service were paid an annual salary above this figure. A list of the posts that have pay band maxima higher than Members’ current salary is attached, together with individual pay of SCS2 and SCS3 staff in £5,000 bands. Details of the current pay ranges are attached. The salaries of Members of the Management Board are disclosed in the House of Commons: Administration annual accounts which are available on the Parliament website.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso attachment 1 file name Posts in the Senior Commons Structure and pay band A1 as at 1 Jan 2014.pdf title Posts in Senior Commons Structure and pay band A1 2 file name House of Commons Senior Pay Bands.pdf title House of Commons Senior Pay Bands question first answered 18/11/2014 17:34:19 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

156651

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2014
	answering body	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept id	18
	answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
	hansard heading	Correspondence
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what the average daily number of letters sent from the House of Commons to each government department is.
	tabling member constituency	Isle of Wight
	tabling member printed	Mr Andrew Turner
	uin	215204
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p>In the period April 2014 to October 2014 the average number of letters sent from the House of Commons to government departments via the Inter-Despatch Service (IDS) was 159 items per day; information is not held on a departmental basis.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso question first answered 25/11/2014 11:12:18 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	1426 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Turner

167873

	registered interest
	date	01/12/2014
	answering body	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept id	18
	answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
	hansard heading	House of Commons
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans the Commission has to publish a vision and strategy document for the future of the House.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	906425
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2014 answer text <p>The current strategy for the House of Commons Service, which covers the period 2013 to 2017, was endorsed by the Commission in January 2013. It is published on the Parliament website at: <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/commons/management-board/management-board-publications1/hoc-strategy/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/commons/management-board/management-board-publications1/hoc-strategy/</a>.</p><p>The Management Board has started the process of drawing up a strategy for the next Parliament, which will build on the current one. This will draw on the views of Members, as well as a large-scale consultation exercise with staff. Emerging ideas will be discussed with the Commission in the new year, the intention is then to take the draft strategy to the new Commission in the 2015 Parliament for its agreement. I have noted the hon. Member’s suggestion to the Governance Committee that the vision should be “This House exists to serve the people of this country and the people who represent them”, and that seems to me an important point to reflect in the House Service’s strategy.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso question first answered 04/12/2014 12:49:03 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

169568

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2014
	answering body	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept id	18
	answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
	hansard heading	House of Commons: Bookshops
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make an assessment of the availability of books by women in the House of Commons bookshop.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	218201
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p>I understand that the hon. Member raised the issue of the availability of books written by women with the Senior Retail Operations Manager, who explained that we are committed to the inclusion of women authors within our range and that it is our aim to fully represent women’s role in British politics wherever possible.</p><p>In the current book range, we have a variety of titles by women including <em>Women of the World</em> by Helen McCarthy, <em>Everyday Sexism</em> by Laura Bates, <em>Wise Women</em> by Carole McKenzie, <em>The Times: Great Women’s Lives</em> by Sue Corbett and <em>The Women’s Suffrage Movement</em> by Molly Housego. A best seller earlier in the year was Baroness Trumpington’s book <em>Coming Up Trumps</em>.</p><p>In making the range selection for the Houses of Parliament Shop, we are conscious of the need to present a political balance, and we seek books that shed light on British politics, Parliament and Government. In selecting individual titles we are constrained by what is available and in print at any one time. With limited retail space, it makes commercial sense to stock the current “best sellers”, whoever the authors are. Having said that, we do actively seek to include women authors and books about women within the range and will continue to do so.</p><p>The Retail Buying team will always welcome suggestions on current titles in general circulation that would make a positive addition to the current book selection.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso question first answered 15/12/2014 11:14:51 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah