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418961

	registered interest
	date	15/09/2015
	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: Working Hours
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2015 to Question 9407, what estimate the Commission has made of the cost of overtime payments to staff resulting from late sittings of the House in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	10253
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2015 answer text <p>A late sitting can refer to either an occasion when the House sits beyond its likely scheduled rise (i.e. 10.30pm on Monday, 7.30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, 5.30pm on Thursday); or whenever the House sits beyond 10.00pm.</p><p>Two types of payments are made to staff in order to support evening sittings, including late sittings: the Unsocial Hours Payment (UHP), an annual flat-rate allowance paid across the year to staff required to work to an unspecified time during evening sittings; and the Evening Additional Hours (EAH) payment which reflects the number of additional hours worked after 6pm, paid at a standard rate from 1800 to 2230 and at a higher rate after 2230. Additionally, in certain circumstances overtime may be paid to staff which may or may not be related to the House’s sitting hours. These payments are not reflected in this answer as the records do not indicate in which circumstances they were made to support late sittings. A late night taxi service is provided to staff who are required to work late; this service is only available after 2300.</p><p>Security staff are employed by the Metropolitan Police Service and are paid in accordance with their terms and conditions of employment.</p><p>The costs of UHP, EAH and the late night taxi service in each year since 2010–11 was as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Unsocial Hours Allowance*</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Evening hours payment*</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Travel Costs</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total Cost</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010–2011</p></td><td><p>£373,409.48</p></td><td><p>£473,171.13</p></td><td><p>£376,892.69</p></td><td><p>£1,223,473.29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011–2012</p></td><td><p>£345,556.57</p></td><td><p>£503,810.57</p></td><td><p>£369,859.62</p></td><td><p>£1,219,226.77</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012–2013</p></td><td><p>£334,516.90</p></td><td><p>£433,007.60</p></td><td><p>£264,314.70</p></td><td><p>£1,031,839.20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013–2014</p></td><td><p>£333,091.84</p></td><td><p>£412,079.02</p></td><td><p>£239,546.70</p></td><td><p>£984,717.56</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014–2015</p></td><td><p>£367,756.14</p></td><td><p>£341,638.12</p></td><td><p>£141,814.10</p></td><td><p>£851,208.36</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£1,754,303.93</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£2,163,706.44</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£1,392,427.81</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£5,310,465.18</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>* Inclusive of NI and pension contributions</p><p>It is not possible meaningfully to equate these staffing costs related to evening sittings to an average overall cost per hour of late night sittings for two reasons: firstly, costs for other types of marginal expenditure related to late sittings, such as utilities charges, are not recorded separately; secondly, the staffing costs are paid to facilitate all sittings after 6.00pm, rather than “late” sittings specifically, whether defined as after 10.00pm or beyond the likely scheduled rise.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake grouped question UIN 10254 question first answered 12/10/2015 16:41:55 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

418962

	registered interest
	date	15/09/2015
	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: Working Hours
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2015 to Question 9407, what the average cost per hour is of late sittings of the House.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	10254
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2015 answer text <p>A late sitting can refer to either an occasion when the House sits beyond its likely scheduled rise (i.e. 10.30pm on Monday, 7.30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, 5.30pm on Thursday); or whenever the House sits beyond 10.00pm.</p><p>Two types of payments are made to staff in order to support evening sittings, including late sittings: the Unsocial Hours Payment (UHP), an annual flat-rate allowance paid across the year to staff required to work to an unspecified time during evening sittings; and the Evening Additional Hours (EAH) payment which reflects the number of additional hours worked after 6pm, paid at a standard rate from 1800 to 2230 and at a higher rate after 2230. Additionally, in certain circumstances overtime may be paid to staff which may or may not be related to the House’s sitting hours. These payments are not reflected in this answer as the records do not indicate in which circumstances they were made to support late sittings. A late night taxi service is provided to staff who are required to work late; this service is only available after 2300.</p><p>Security staff are employed by the Metropolitan Police Service and are paid in accordance with their terms and conditions of employment.</p><p>The costs of UHP, EAH and the late night taxi service in each year since 2010–11 was as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Unsocial Hours Allowance*</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Evening hours payment*</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Travel Costs</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total Cost</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010–2011</p></td><td><p>£373,409.48</p></td><td><p>£473,171.13</p></td><td><p>£376,892.69</p></td><td><p>£1,223,473.29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011–2012</p></td><td><p>£345,556.57</p></td><td><p>£503,810.57</p></td><td><p>£369,859.62</p></td><td><p>£1,219,226.77</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012–2013</p></td><td><p>£334,516.90</p></td><td><p>£433,007.60</p></td><td><p>£264,314.70</p></td><td><p>£1,031,839.20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013–2014</p></td><td><p>£333,091.84</p></td><td><p>£412,079.02</p></td><td><p>£239,546.70</p></td><td><p>£984,717.56</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014–2015</p></td><td><p>£367,756.14</p></td><td><p>£341,638.12</p></td><td><p>£141,814.10</p></td><td><p>£851,208.36</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£1,754,303.93</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£2,163,706.44</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£1,392,427.81</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£5,310,465.18</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>* Inclusive of NI and pension contributions</p><p>It is not possible meaningfully to equate these staffing costs related to evening sittings to an average overall cost per hour of late night sittings for two reasons: firstly, costs for other types of marginal expenditure related to late sittings, such as utilities charges, are not recorded separately; secondly, the staffing costs are paid to facilitate all sittings after 6.00pm, rather than “late” sittings specifically, whether defined as after 10.00pm or beyond the likely scheduled rise.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake grouped question UIN 10253 question first answered 12/10/2015 16:41:55 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

419569

	registered interest
	date	17/09/2015
	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: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, how many people employed by the House of Commons (a) directly and (b) indirectly are not receiving a wage of at least £7.85 an hour.
	tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire North
	tabling member printed	Gavin Newlands
	uin	10568
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2015 answer text <p>The House of Commons is an accredited London Living Wage Employer. In order to obtain our accreditation, the House has to satisfy the Living Wage Foundation that no directly employed or contracted workers engaged to work on the Parliamentary Estate are paid less than the London Living Wage (LLW), currently £9.15 an hour.</p><p>All contractors and their sub-contractors with staff based in London providing services to the House have agreed to pay at least the London Living Wage to those of their staff working on contracts for the House; or, in the case of staff working for contractors outside London, at least the Living Wage of £7.85 an hour. These contractual requirements are included within our Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 12/10/2015 09:15:38 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4420 label Biography information for Gavin Newlands

767631

	registered interest
	date	09/10/2017
	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	Parliament: Broadband
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the average broadband download speed is on the Parliamentary estate.
	tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
	tabling member printed	Tom Watson
	uin	106531
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2017 answer text <p>The Parliamentary Estate provides users with a number of different broadband solutions with varying bandwidth based on usage and capacity requirements. These are listed below:</p><ul><li>Parliament’s main secure private network (PN) resilient internet connection = 2Gbps bandwidth</li><li>The secure ‘internet direct’ resilient wireless service = 400Mbps bandwidth</li><li>Broadband over a phone line = 5–7Mbps bandwidth</li></ul><p><br>The Digital Service takes action where possible to improve the broadband download speed across the Parliamentary Estate. However, due to the age and condition of the Palace of Westminster it is difficult to improve both the wiring that is available and to supplement the wireless connectivity.</p><p>The average download speeds on these services will vary as it depends on a number of factors such as the capability of the user’s device, the connection type (wired/wireless), the size of download, the current bandwidth utilisation on any given day and the volume of users/devices connected, as these internet services and bandwidths are shared with all users across the Parliamentary estate. Due to these factors, the Digital Service does not hold data relating to the average download speed.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 12/10/2017 13:02:06 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

768854

	registered interest
	date	11/10/2017
	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	Parliament: Food
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much of the food and drink purchased by the (a) House of Commons and (b) UK Parliament is sourced from Scotland.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	107080
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2017 answer text <p>All individual products purchased in a specific delivery are fully traceable to source but the House Service does not hold aggregated the information in respect of sourcing from individual parts of the UK, and it could only be assembled at disproportionate cost.</p><p>The House Service sources products that meet UK or equivalent standards of production and which are produced with higher environmental standards where possible. In the last financial year, spend on food and drinks in the House of Commons was £3,188,504 and Commons and Lords combined was £4,604,216. Products included in this spend come from various parts of the UK, including Scotland, and additionally from overseas.</p><p>The House Service would welcome more suppliers from Scotland expressing an interest in offering their products through our procurement portal.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 23/10/2017 10:22:59 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

769016

	registered interest
	date	11/10/2017
	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	Big Ben: Repairs and Maintenance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what material has been used in the scaffolding for the renovation work on the Elizabeth Tower; and what the country of origin was of that material.
	tabling member constituency	Aberavon
	tabling member printed	Stephen Kinnock
	uin	107189
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2017 answer text <p>A modular scaffolding system is being used for the refurbishment of the Elizabeth Tower. A UK sub-contractor is erecting the modular system, which is made from high tensile galvanised steel supplied from Germany, through a UK-based company.</p><p>The modular scaffolding system is supported by a steelwork gantry. The steelwork for the gantry has been procured through a UK manufacturer (Sir Robert McAlpine’s sub-contractor). The origin of the majority of the steel is British, but due to the quantity and size of the components required it has been necessary to source some steel from overseas suppliers, including in Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.</p><p>All of the steelwork structures have been assembled in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 18/10/2017 17:05:46 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock

773258

	registered interest
	date	18/10/2017
	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	Parliamentary Estate: Vending Machines
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many vending machines there are on the parliamentary estate; and what proportion of the items in those machines have (a) low or no and (b) high sugar content.
	tabling member constituency	Leicester East
	tabling member printed	Keith Vaz
	uin	108419
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2017 answer text <p>The House of Commons has ten vending machines provided by an external contractor:</p><ul><li><p>4 hot beverage machines</p></li><li><p>6 chilled snack and cold beverage machines</p></li></ul><p>In the majority of the chilled snack and cold beverage machines, out of 16 drinks items approximately 80% are lower sugar items; and out of 22 snack items approximately 50% are lower sugar items. It is more difficult to quantify for the products in the hot beverage machines, because the raw coffee or tea product can be turned into multiple finished products and purchasers can add sugar. However, based on the raw product alone, the hot beverage machines have a minimum of 66% low or no sugar products.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 25/10/2017 16:27:22 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	338 label Biography information for Keith Vaz

776272

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2017
	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	Big Ben: Iron and Steel
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the decision on procuring steel for the refurbishment of the Elizabeth Tower was made with reference to the provisions of the Public Service (Social Value) Act 2012.
	tabling member constituency	Oldham West and Royton
	tabling member printed	Jim McMahon
	uin	109191
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2017 answer text <p>The Public Service (Social Value) Act 2012 requires a relevant authority buying services to consider how what is being procured might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the “relevant area”. Parliament does not have a “relevant area” for the purposes of the Act, and therefore the Act’s provisions cannot formally be applied to Parliamentary contracts. Parliament does, however, have a Sustainable Purchasing Policy which sets a range of social, economic and environmental objectives which must be considered whenever procuring contracts with third party suppliers. Objectives of this kind are included in the terms and conditions of parliamentary contracts and any relevant outcomes and performance measures are monitored and reported during contract delivery.</p><p>The House Service awards contracts, including maintenance works, on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender in accordance with the statutory regime set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 prohibit Parliament from insisting on the use of products “of a specific origin”. It would therefore have been unlawful to impose a requirement for the material used to be British. The contract for the refurbishment of the Elizabeth Tower, which was awarded to Sir Robert McAlpine, requires that they procure services, supplies and works in order to achieve the most economically advantageous outcome to ensure completion of the contract.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 26/10/2017 15:34:25 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4569 label Biography information for Jim McMahon

776907

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2017
	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	Anniversaries: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will take steps to mark the 375th anniversary of the signing of the Solemn League and Covenant by both Houses of Parliament and the Scottish commissioners on 25 September 1643.
	tabling member constituency	Preston
	tabling member printed	Mr Mark Hendrick
	uin	109300
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2017 answer text <p>Parliament has no plans to mark the 375th anniversary of the Solemn League and Covenant. A check of Parliamentary records suggests that we have not marked such anniversaries in the past. In 2018 Parliament will celebrate the centenary of the passing of the Representation of the People Act, as well as commemorating 100 years since the end of the First World War. Parliament has a busy schedule of activities throughout 2018 to engage the public in the role of Parliament through these anniversaries.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 06/11/2017 14:12:49 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

777028

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2017
	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	Select Committees: Vacancies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many vacancies for specialist advisers to select committees have been advertised in each of the last five sessions of Parliament.
	tabling member constituency	Rhondda
	tabling member printed	Chris Bryant
	uin	109412
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2017 answer text <p>Committees are expected to seek potential Specialist Advisers from as wide a range of sources as possible and guidance states that committees should, wherever possible, be offered a choice of candidates. They are advised to use academic institutions, the Library, the National Audit Office and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology whenever appropriate to assist them in their search for Advisers on specific or generic topics. Committees have sometimes advertised for Specialist Advisers by issuing a press notice, and some have used their webpages to offer something like a standing invitation for expressions of interest. No central record of the number of advertised Specialist Adviser vacancies is kept. Information is being gleaned from individual committee records and the Clerk of Committees will write to the hon. Member when that is completed. A record of all Specialist Advisers appointed by a committee can be found in the relevant section of the Sessional Return for each of the years in question.</p><p>The Sessional Returns can be found at: <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/commons/sessional-returns/" target="_blank">www.parliament.uk/business/publications/commons/sessional-returns/</a></p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 31/10/2017 14:47:02 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	1446 label Biography information for Sir Chris Bryant

778254

	registered interest
	date	26/10/2017
	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: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission plans to remove the public sector pay cap of one per cent in its next round of pay negotiations; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
	tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
	uin	109824
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/11/2017 answer text <p>The House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 includes the requirement to remain ‘broadly in line’ with the terms and conditions of the Home Civil Service. The House of Commons Commission has yet to take a decision on a pay remit for 2018/19.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 07/11/2017 15:42:12 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

778255

	registered interest
	date	26/10/2017
	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: Zero Hours Contracts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many and what proportion of (a) parliamentary and (b) contracted staff are employed on zero hours contracts; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
	tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
	uin	109825
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2017 answer text <p>No staff are employed by the House of Commons on zero hours contracts. The House of Commons Commission does not hold information about staff employed by its contractors. Our standard terms and conditions of contract do not specify that contractors are not to be employed on zero hours contracts.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 09/11/2017 12:29:10 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

778256

	registered interest
	date	26/10/2017
	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: Contracts for Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether evidence of remedial action is required from a contractor who has been involved in the practice of blacklisting before it secures a contract with the Commission; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
	tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
	uin	109826
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2017 answer text <p>As a pre-qualification activity in the procurement process, potential contractors tendering for contracts with the House Service are asked to confirm whether they have breached labour law obligations, including the Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 and the Modern Slavery Act 2015, in the previous three years. Where this turns out to be the case, they are asked to explain what measures have been taken and provide evidence as appropriate to demonstrate the reliability of the organisation despite the existence of a relevant ground for exclusion. If the response is not satisfactory, the House Service has the right to exclude the organisation from the tendering process at its discretion.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 03/11/2017 10:43:14 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

420225

	registered interest
	date	09/10/2015
	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	Portcullis House: Fire Alarms
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, how many fire alarms in Portcullis House in the last 12 months (a) resulted from fires and (b) were false alarms.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	11015
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2015 answer text <p>Since October 2014 there has been one fire alarm in Portcullis House caused by a fire. There have been six false alarms: two of which were manual call point actuations and four caused by equipment defects or the inadvertent interruption of detector beams.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 19/10/2015 15:29:15 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

788596

	registered interest
	date	13/11/2017
	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: Temporary Employment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many and what proportion of parliamentary staff are employed on fixed term contracts; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
	tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
	uin	112746
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2017 answer text <p>As at 31 October 2017, 264 staff were employed on fixed term contracts. This represents 9.8% of staff employed by the House of Commons Commission.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 20/11/2017 14:05:11 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

793130

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2017
	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: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental well-being of all employed staff.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	114915
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2017 answer text <p>The Parliamentary Health and Wellbeing Service (PHWS) support staff to help maintain and improve their physical and mental well-being.</p><p>PHWS offer a number of services including:</p><ul><li>healthcare advice to improve fitness and wellbeing</li><li>wellbeing classes on the Parliamentary Estate, including yoga, pilates and mindfulness</li><li>advice and guidance for staff with disabilities</li><li>support to give up smoking plus dietary and lifestyle advice</li><li>access to physiotherapy services.</li></ul><p><br>The House also has a contract with Westminster Gym which provides employees, amongst others, to access to gym facilities and a range of classes and treatments.</p><p>Wellbeing support is also provided and includes counselling by Wellbeing Practitioners. Support, advice and guidance is also provided to help with issues such as:</p><ul><li>Mental Health</li><li>Problems at home or work</li><li>Ill health or ill health of loved ones</li><li>Financial difficulties and debt</li><li>Bereavement</li><li>Alcohol and Drug issues</li></ul><p><br>A minor treatment clinic is located in the Palace of Westminster. The Clinical Nurse Adviser can provide advice and information about illness, injuries at work, lifestyle and wellbeing issues. The Clinical nurse is able to refer clients onto specialist agencies or in-house services where necessary. Minor treatments such as dressings, ear syringing, removal of stitches and blood pressure monitoring can take place at this clinic.</p><p>The Service also runs Health &amp; Wellbeing events. These are organised regularly during the parliamentary year and include an annual Wellbeing Day. This gives staff the opportunity to have an individual health check and obtain advice and guidance on health &amp; wellbeing related issues.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 28/11/2017 16:28:40 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

802600

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2017
	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	Parliamentary Estate: WiFi
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will assess the potential merits of consolidating WiFi systems on the Parliamentary Estate.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	118150
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2017 answer text <p>Parliament already has a single wireless network. However, this can appear to be a number of different ones when viewing the WiFi available on estate. This is due to it being segmented into a number of logical virtual networks. This is designed to enable effective cyber security management depending on the end user connecting. For example, guests on the Parliamentary Estate and users of non-Parliamentary devices computers are asked to manually enter an ID and password. However, Members and users of Parliamentary-issued devices automatically connect to the network. PDS plan to rationalise the number of WiFi networks visible on the Parliamentary estate over the course of 2018, the intent being to reduce the number visible to the minimum viable to meet cyber security requirements.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 13/12/2017 12:50:30 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

802688

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2017
	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	Church House
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the contract for emergency relocation to Church House was terminated; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	New Forest West
	tabling member printed	Sir Desmond Swayne
	uin	118237
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2017 answer text <p>An agreement between the House of Commons and Church House expired in 2006.</p><p>The House has new contingency plans for a forced relocation in the event of a fire, flood, or other emergency. These plans are not limited by or dependent on one relocation venue or building, and they address a variety of different risks, scenarios and requirements.</p><p>It would be inappropriate to expand further due to security considerations.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 13/12/2017 12:49:20 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne

806137

	registered interest
	date	13/12/2017
	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: Security
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many (a) members, (b) members' staff and (c) other pass holders have been reported to the Serjeant at Arms by security officers or police officers for failure to wear or failure to present on request their Palace of Westminster Security Pass in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	City of Chester
	tabling member printed	Christian Matheson
	uin	119338
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2017 answer text <p>The Serjeant at Arms Office does receive emails and phone calls on the subject of failure to wear a Security Pass but the Office does not make a record of these or hold statistics.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 21/12/2017 11:49:17 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4408 label Biography information for Christian Matheson

806466

	registered interest
	date	14/12/2017
	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: Conditions of Employment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question HL3576, what steps he is taking to strengthen the families of Members and staff working in Parliament.
	tabling member constituency	Congleton
	tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
	uin	119542
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2017 answer text <p>The House of Commons Commission is committed to providing family friendly policies, e.g. maternity leave, parental leave, adoption leave, foster care leave, career breaks, flexible working and the offer of Childcare Vouchers.</p><p>The House of Commons Commission has also taken a number of steps to improve the availability of childcare around the Estate. The House Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion is currently piloting an emergency childcare contract, which makes it easier for Members and House staff to find childcare at short notice. This is in addition to the facilities of the Parliamentary nursery, which welcomes users from across the Parliamentary Estate. Also, all Parliamentary pass holders have access to the Westminster Holiday Playscheme catering for children between 4 years 9 months and 12 years old.</p><p>The House of Commons recently launched the Work+Family Space website for Members, Members’ staff and staff of the House of Commons. The site provides assistance with Backup Care services which include Emergency Childcare, School Holiday Cover and Backup Adult &amp; Eldercare, paid for by the end user. The website also offers a range of other services providing information and advice on a range of subjects.</p><p>In addition, Parliament is aiming to take part in the Inter-Parliamentary Union Gender Sensitive Parliament audit. As part of this process there will be a focus on how Parliament supports work-life balance and family obligations.</p><p>The Members’ pension scheme has comprehensive cover for partners, spouses and dependants in the event of a Member’s death, and the benevolent fund can support their families financially if necessary as well, after they have left the House or died.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 21/12/2017 12:51:29 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

809716

	registered interest
	date	19/12/2017
	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: Written Questions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many and what proportion of the Commission's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	120336
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2018 answer text <p>In the Session to date, the House of Commons Commission has received 30 Written Parliamentary Questions. Three of those questions – representing 10% of the total answers – have referred to the information not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally: they referred to reported failures to wear a security pass, Specialist Adviser vacancies and average download speeds.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 12/01/2018 16:10:51 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

816857

	registered interest
	date	05/01/2018
	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	Portcullis House
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what discussions have taken place with the architect Ian Ward about the use of Portcullis House as a possible temporary Chamber.
	tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
	tabling member printed	John Mann
	uin	121284
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2018 answer text <p>The Commission has no record of any such discussions having taken place.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 12/01/2018 16:14:00 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

819936

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2018
	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	Fairtrade Initiative
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans Parliament has to recognise Fair Trade Fortnight.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	122008
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The Houses of Parliament have for many years recognised and supported Fair Trade Fortnight. Catering customers are made aware of Fair Trade Fortnight through promotional screens and posters in the catering venues. In addition, members of the Catering Team speak to interested customers at their tables about the Fair Trade organisation during the fortnight.</p><p>The House Service sources products that meet UK or equivalent standards of production, and considers purchasing Fairly Traded products where there is a competitive market. Since 1997, all coffee sold in catering outlets has been Fairtrade. Fairtrade products, including a variety of popular drinks and snacks labelled with the Fairtrade mark, are also sold by Catering Services in Parliament. Additionally, Parliament’s bottled water supplier is a social enterprise that donates proceeds to Water Aid.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 23/01/2018 13:17:59 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

819937

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2018
	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	Parliamentary Estate: Waste Management
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what percentage of parliamentary waste was (a) recycled and (b) incinerated in the most recent period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	122009
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2018 answer text <p>In the calendar year of 2017, Parliament recycled 48.8% (937,854 kg) of waste. Parliament recovered 13.4% (253,056 kg) of waste, which is a process that applies to food waste, treated to produce methane fuel for energy generation with the solid residues used as soil improver.</p><p>In the same timeframe, Parliament incinerated 36.7% (691,464 kg) of waste at an ‘energy from waste facility’. No waste from the Parliamentary Estate goes to landfill.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 25/01/2018 11:19:23 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

820710

	registered interest
	date	11/01/2018
	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	Palace of Westminster: Post Offices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, (a) how many and (b) which hon. Members were consulted about the change in the opening hours of the post office in Members' Lobby.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	122128
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2018 answer text <p>In response to a Post Office Counters Ltd (POCL) request under its Memorandum of Understanding with both Houses of Parliament, the House of Commons Administration Committee agreed a change to the opening hours of the Post Office counter located in Members Lobby. This change altered the closing time of the counter on Sitting Days from 2200 to 1900.</p><p>Because of the timing of the 2017 General Election and the delay in setting up Domestic Committees, the Administration Committee was notified of the change some considerable time after POCL gave notice that it would need to reduce the opening hours for staffing reasons.</p><p>The decision was made at the Committee’s meeting on 11 December 2017, and implemented from 8 January 2018. Whilst there was no House-wide consultation with hon. Members, the Committee based its decision around data on usage of the counter facility, ensuring value for money whilst avoiding unnecessary duplication of services.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 01/02/2018 10:27:17 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead