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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

1170507

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: Festivals and Special Occasions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member representing the House of Commons Commission, what the cost was of Big Ben chiming on (a) Remembrance Sunday 2019 and (b) New Year's Eve 2019.
tabling member constituency	Rayleigh and Wickford
tabling member printed	Mr Mark Francois
uin	2442
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2020 answer text <p>The costs associated with striking Big Ben on Remembrance Sunday and New Year's Eve in 2019 were £14.2k including VAT <ins class="ministerial">in total.</ins> <del class="ministerial">on each occasion.</del></p><p>The striking of Big Ben on these occasions was coordinated around the planned works so as to minimise the impact on the project costs and to ensure it did not result in any delay. If the project team are required to strike the bell with less notice, the costs would substantially increase due to the unexpected impact on the project schedule.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 16/01/2020 20:09:42 question first ministerially corrected 19/02/2020 08:40:44 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford previous answer version 1393 answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	1444 label Biography information for Mr Mark Francois

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

387088

registered interest
date	01/07/2015
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	Parliament: Art Works
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, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2015 to Question 3834, how many items were in the Parliamentary Art Collection on 31 March 2000; and what the current valuation for insurance purposes is of those items.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	5197
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2015 answer text <p>On 31 March 2000 there were 6,704 items in the House of Commons art collection.<br><br>There is no insurance valuation as the House of Commons, like the Civil Service, self-insures for these items.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 07/07/2015 12:54:12 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

386731

registered interest
date	30/06/2015
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: Defibrillators
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, where defibrillator units are located on the Parliamentary Estate; and how often they are serviced to ensure they are working.
tabling member constituency	Montgomeryshire
tabling member printed	Glyn Davies
uin	4743
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2015 answer text <p>There are 18 Defibrillators across the Parliamentary estate in the following locations:<br><br>Palace of Westminster</p><ul><li>Lower Waiting Hall</li><li>Members’ Lobby</li><li>Peers’ Lobby</li><li>River Restaurant</li><li>Victoria Tower</li><li>Engineers’ Control</li><li>Cromwell Green Visitor Entrance</li><li>Elizabeth Tower – top floor</li><li>Elizabeth Tower – room one</li><li>Peers’ Entrance</li></ul><p><br>7 Millbank</p><ul><li>7 Millbank reception</li><li>Health &amp; Wellbeing Service (4th floor)</li></ul><p><br>Millbank House</p><ul><li>House of Lords Library / Reception area</li></ul><p><br>6/7 Old Palace Yard</p><ul><li>Reception (whilst this building is being refurbished the defibrillator is being held in Millbank House reception)</li></ul><p><br>Norman Shaw North</p><ul><li>Reception</li></ul><p><br>Canon Row</p><ul><li>Westminster Gym</li></ul><p><br>14 Tothill Street</p><ul><li>Reception</li></ul><p><br>Portcullis House</p><ul><li>Digital Services Desk</li></ul><p><br>Defibrillators are checked weekly to ensure that they are working, and receive a full service annually.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 07/07/2015 12:53:21 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	4041 label Biography information for Glyn Davies

385977

registered interest
date	26/06/2015
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: Procurement
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, whether all contractors supplying a service to the House have now been signed up as living wage employers.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	4404
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2015 answer text <p>We can confirm that all contractors and their sub-contractors providing services to the House have agreed to pay the living wage or London living wage to those of their staff working on contracts for the House. Payment of the living wage or London living wage is included within our Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 01/07/2015 10:17:45 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

385070

registered interest
date	23/06/2015
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: Art Works
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 estimate the Commission has made of the value of all art held on the parliamentary estate.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	3834
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2015 answer text <p>The value of the Parliamentary Art Collection at the House of Commons, as recorded in the published annual accounts for the financial year 2013/14 was £6.7 million. The accounts for 2014/15, to be laid before the House prior to the Summer Recess, will contain an updated valuation.<br><br>For valuation purposes, the Parliamentary Art Collection at the House of Commons is divided into two categories; those items held as at 31 March 2000 and those items acquired since that date. No valuation for the Collection at 31 March 2000 is currently included on the Statement of Financial Position because obtaining a valuation for a collection of this size and diversity would be costly. During 2012/13, it was decided that the benefit from a valuation exercise would not justify the expense incurred. The House has no plans to conduct such a valuation.<br><br>Acquisitions since 1 April 2000 have either been made by purchase or donation. Purchases are recorded at cost and donations are recorded at the value current at the date of acquisition, ascertained by the House’s Curator of Works of Art with reference, where possible, to commercial markets using recent transaction information from auctions.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 30/06/2015 09:35:33 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

381540

registered interest
date	16/06/2015
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: Hearing Aids
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, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2015 to Question 1510, what advice is given to people using hearing aids in order to hear non-public proceedings in meeting rooms in the building where no loop provision exists; and whether the Commission has discussed that matter with Action on Hearing Loss.
tabling member constituency	Walsall North
tabling member printed	Mr David Winnick
uin	2662
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2015 answer text <p>Information about which meeting rooms have an induction loop is available via the self-service room booking service or by contacting the facilities team directly.<br><br>Deaf or hard of hearing guidance is available on the Parliamentary Intranet for those who work in Parliament. This includes information about the different kind of interpreters who may be booked to help deaf and hard of hearing people at meetings: British Sign Language (BSL)/English interpreters, lip speakers, speech to text reporters (STTRs) and electronic notetakers. These forms of communication may be used in rooms without induction loops. It should be noted that even in rooms where there is an induction loop, some deaf and hard of hearing people need to rely on alternative means of communication. An infra-red driven hearing loop system is available in House of Commons Committee rooms. A video is also available on the Parliament website, in subtitled and signed versions, which informs visitors about the extent of the availability of the system. People with hearing difficulties can use the system by obtaining a personal loop from the reception desk in either the Main Committee Corridor or the first floor of Portcullis House.<br><br>The House of Commons has been awarded the Action on Hearing Loss, Louder than Words charter mark, a nationally recognised award that shows people who are deaf or have hearing loss that an organisation offers a fully deaf aware service. The House of Commons continues to work with Action on Hearing Loss to improve our facilities for those who have hearing loss or are deaf.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 22/06/2015 09:00:07 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	316 label Biography information for Mr David Winnick