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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

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

423393

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2015
	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	Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance
	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, what progress has been made on confirming the final cost of the Options Appraisal Report into the refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster.
	tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
	tabling member printed	Neil Gray
	uin	13110
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2015 answer text <p>This information was provided in a Written Statement made by my predecessor on 16 December 2014, cols 86–87WS:</p><p><a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm141216/wmstext/141216m0001.htm#14121636000008" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm141216/wmstext/141216m0001.htm#14121636000008</a></p><p>The final cost of the Independent Options Appraisal was £2.02 million, excluding VAT.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 27/10/2015 16:51:05 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

423603

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2015
	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	Parliament: Legal Profession
	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, when the Commission plans to publish the list of Roll A Parliamentary Agents for the current Parliament.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	13181
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2015 answer text <p>The current list of Roll A Parliamentary Agents as at May 2015 is available on the Parliamentary Internet at:</p><p><a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/pbagents.htm" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/pbagents.htm</a></p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 29/10/2015 17:58:36 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

423604

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2015
	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	City of London Remembrancer
	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, if the Commission will review the right of access for the City of London Remembrancer to the Chamber of the House.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	13180
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2015 answer text <p>I understand that the Remembrancer is one of some 17 Roll A Parliamentary Agents who work with the promoters of private Bills. Parliamentary Agents are permitted to observe proceedings from the Under Gallery in the Chamber, that is, the visitors’ seats “under the gallery” facing the Speaker, for the purposes of their work. Other visitors may also sometimes sit in the Under Gallery.</p><p>Access to the Chamber and its surroundings is not a matter for the Commission.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 29/10/2015 17:57:23 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

423849

	registered interest
	date	26/10/2015
	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	House of Commons: Credit Unions
	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, what steps he is taking to promote the use of credit unions in the work of the House of Commons Commission; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	13516
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2015 answer text <p>Since March 2013 staff and Members of both Houses have been able to access financial support and advice on managing their personal finances from London Mutual Credit Union (LMCU). In addition they also offer financial products such as savings and loans which can be deducted directly from employees’ salaries via payroll, and for Members via IPSA. In November 2013, the facility with LMCU was formally launched at a reception held by Mr Speaker.</p><p>LMCU is promoted on the Parliamentary intranet, in the House of Commons Staff Handbook and at new staff inductions. LMCU also have a presence at the annual Wellbeing Day.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 02/11/2015 17:31:00 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

425142

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2015
	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	Parliament: Internet
	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, if he will take steps to ensure that the parliament.uk website states the country in which hon. Members' constituencies are located.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	14160
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2015 answer text <p>The way that Members’ biographical information is displayed on Parliament’s website is not a matter for the Commission. I have, however, drawn the Administration Committee’s attention to the hon. Member’s request, and would advise her to approach the Chair of that Committee directly to discuss her proposal. The Administration Committee can then decide whether to offer advice on this matter to the authorities of the House.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake question first answered 05/11/2015 11:26:43 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake previous answer version 27856 answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

424629

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2015
	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	Acts: Publishing
	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, whether the Commission consulted (a) users and (b) makers of vellum on ending the use of vellum for printing Acts of Parliament.
	tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
	tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
	uin	13882
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2015 answer text <p>The House of Lords is responsible for the printing of two record copies of each Act, both printed on vellum in accordance with the Resolutions agreed by both Houses in February 1849. The Commission does not incur any expenditure on the printing of these copies, and has therefore undertaken no inquiry into, or consultation on, the proposal from the Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords to move to the use of archival paper. It has also therefore not sought to assess alternative options, nor undertaken any analysis of relative storage or care costs of vellum as opposed to archival paper. The House of Lords agreed in 1999 to vary its resolution and that vellum should cease to be used. The predecessor Administration Committee had considered arguments in support of a similar proposal from the House of Lords in June 1999. That Committee recommended in a report (<a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199899/cmselect/cmadmin/539/53903.htm" target="_blank"><em>Record Copies of Acts</em>, HC 539</a>) to the House that the proposal to end the use of vellum be accepted. However, following a debate on 1 November 1999, on a motion that the Commons agree with the Lords in their resolution, the proposal was rejected by the Commons. [Deb HC: 1 November 1999, Col 32ff].</p><p>In his letter to the Administration Committee of 17 September, printed with the Committee’s Report (<a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmadmin/521/521.pdf" target="_blank"><em>Record Copies of Acts</em>, HC 521</a>), the Chairman of Committees stated that the average annual cost of printing vellums is around £100,000 a year. I understand that the current estimate of the savings arising from a switch to archival paper are about 80%, amounting to around £800,000 of savings to public funds over the next ten years. These arise from the greater ease of printing on paper rather than vellum, as well as the raw material costs. The exact level of savings to public funds will depend on the number of Acts passed, and number of pages per Act, per year, and the precise specification and contractual arrangements agreed for future printing. The Commission has made no assessment of the breakdown of savings arising.</p><p>The Chairman of Committees records in his letter the view that high quality archival paper would maintain durability and print quality. I understand that the National Archives has already informed Parliament that it does not require a vellum copy, and that it takes the view that archival quality paper is sufficient to maintain the public record. It also maintains a comprehensive database of legislation, both “as originally enacted” and “as amended”, on <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.legislation.gov.uk</a>. Private Acts have been printed on archival paper since 1956. There are internationally recognised ISO standards for archival paper, and for archival quality ink and printing processes.</p> answering member constituency Carshalton and Wallington answering member printed Tom Brake grouped question UIN 13880 13881 13883 13884 13885 13957 13958 14164 question first answered 09/11/2015 11:47:59 answering member 151 label Biography information for Tom Brake
	tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson