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1170327

registered interest
date	13/01/2020
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will allow Big Ben to chime at 11pm GMT on 31 January 2020 to mark the UK leaving the EU; what estimate has been made of the cost of activating the clock mechanism to enable those chimes; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Lichfield
tabling member printed	Michael Fabricant
uin	2417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2020 answer text <p>The Speaker has indicated that this is a matter for Members of the House of Commons. The House of Commons Commission will respond to any decision of the House on this matter. In the absence of any such decision, the Commission's position on the sounding of Big Ben remains unchanged.</p><p>For the Bell to ring on 31 January, the temporary striking mechanism used for Remembrance Sunday and New Year's Eve would need to be reattached and tested to ensure the timing is correct. Alongside this work, a temporary floor of the belfry where Big Ben is housed would also need to be installed, as extensive work is currently taking place in this area. The cost for the temporary floor and installing, testing and striking Big Ben would be approximately £120,000.</p><p>In addition to the set-up, the delay to work in the belfry would push back the planned programme of works by two to four weeks, with each week of delays costing approximately £100,000 a week. As such, the minimum cost of sounding Big Ben would be £320,000 but could be much higher (up to £500,000). These costs are based on a notice period of approximately two weeks. Should the project team be required to strike the bell with less notice, these costs would increase substantially.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 15/01/2020 23:47:42 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	280 label Biography information for Michael Fabricant

1168405

registered interest
date	19/12/2019
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has received a request from the Government to arrange for Big Ben to chime to mark the UK's departure from the EU.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	154
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2020 answer text <p>The House of Commons Commission has not received a request from the Government to arrange for Big Ben to chime to mark the UK’s departure from the EU.</p><p>The Commission is aware of EDM No. 2, tabled by the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford, which calls on Mr Speaker and the House Authorities to make arrangements for Big Ben to chime at 11.00 pm on 31 January 2020.</p><p>The Commission is further aware that an amendment in the names of Mark Francois and other signatories has been tabled to the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill that moves the following clause;</p><p>Exit day chimes of Big Ben</p><p>(1) The United Kingdom leaves the European Union, in accordance with Article 50 (2) of the Treaty on European Union, at 11.00pm Greenwich Mean Time on Friday 31 January 2020.</p><p>(2) The Speaker of the House of Commons and the Corporate Officer of the House of Commons, together with any other relevant parliamentary authorities, must make arrangements for the occasion in subsection (1) to be marked by the sounding of the hourly chimes including eleven strikes of the principal bell (Big Ben) of the Great Clock in the Elizabeth Tower of the Houses of Parliament at 11.00pm Greenwich Mean Time on Friday 31 January 2020.</p><p>In May 2018, the Commission agreed that, during the Elizabeth Tower refurbishment project, Big Ben should sound only for Remembrance Sunday, Armistice Day and over the New Year.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 07/01/2020 13:30:44 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

388314

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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 Mole Valley representing the House of Commons Commission, what mechanisms the Commission has put in place for assessing the value for money of each of the options for restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	5925
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2015 answer text <p>The House of Commons Commission and the House of Lords House Committee asked for the independent appraisal of options for restoring and renewing the Palace of Westminster that was published on 18 June. The IOA does not test value for money as such, because it is not yet possible to quantify the benefits of the different options in cash terms. Instead it recommends that value for money should be tested in the course of drawing up a business case in the next phase. The Commission expects value for money to be central to the work of the Joint Committee that is to be set up to take this matter forward.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 09/07/2015 09:36:36 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

387874

registered interest
date	06/07/2015
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	Westminster Hall: Cafes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Mole Valley representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent assessment the Commission has made of the profitability of the Jubilee Café.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	5608
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2015 answer text <p>For the financial year ending 2014/15 the Jubilee Café made a positive contribution of £22.8k to reducing the net cost of catering to the House of Commons.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 09/07/2015 09:38:47 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady