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1676458

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2023
	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	Members and Members' Staff: Science and Statistics
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission is taking steps to help increase (a) scientific and (b) statistical literacy among (i) MPs and (ii) MPs' staff.
	tabling member constituency	City of Durham
	tabling member printed	Mary Kelly Foy
	uin	5915
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2023 answer text <p>The Research and Information Team (R&amp;I) leads on much of the House’s work to support Members and their staff with their research and information needs, including those of a scientific and statistical nature.</p><p>The team provides direct statistical and scientific support to MPs and their staff through the Enquiry Service. In 2022/23, 18,000 individual Member research requests were handled across all topic areas.</p><p>The team publishes resources to help parliamentarians engage with scientific and statistical issues, including:</p><ul><li>Library briefings on <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn04446/" target="_blank">How to spot spin and inappropriate use of statistics</a> how to <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05073/" target="_blank">design effective charts</a> and how to <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05072/" target="_blank">design effective statistical tables</a></li><li>POST guides to common <a href="https://post.parliament.uk/research-glossary/" target="_blank">scientific research terms</a>, <a href="https://post.parliament.uk/interpreting-research-evidence/" target="_blank">interpreting scientific evidence</a>, and <a href="https://post.parliament.uk/type/resource/" target="_blank">data analysis</a></li></ul><p><br>The team provides wider statistical and scientific support to MPs and their staff through events and training. For example, in 2023 the Library hosted:</p><ul><li>A talk by the Office for National Statistics on how it measures the economy</li><li>Evidence Week in collaboration with the charity Sense About Science and in partnership with Ipsos, the UK Statistics Authority and universities and research institutions from across the UK. More than 160 MPs, Peers and staff participated.</li></ul><p><br>The Library provides courses to enhance research skills, such as a course on finding scientific content and on how to use the Library’s specialist scientific and statistical resources.</p><p>In addition to the work conducted by R&amp;I, the Members’ Services Team (which leads on general training for Members’ staff) and the Select Committee Team (which supports Committee Members) may also meet requests for scientific or statistical training, or work with R&amp;I to address the need.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 12/12/2023 13:06:37 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4753 label Biography information for Mary Kelly Foy

1675389

	registered interest
	date	05/12/2023
	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: ICT
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much the House of Commons spends on (a) total IT infrastructure, (b) IT infrastructure that was first purchased in 2013 or earlier and (c) legacy IT infrastructure each year.
	tabling member constituency	Reading East
	tabling member printed	Matt Rodda
	uin	5277
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2023 answer text <p>The amount the House of Commons spent on physical, virtual and cloud IT infrastructure in financial year 2022/23 was £8,985,950.</p><p>As the House of Commons does not record cost data based on legacy or age status, it isn’t possible to provide answers to parts (b) and (c) of the question.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 12/12/2023 12:58:29 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4654 label Biography information for Matt Rodda

1675390

	registered interest
	date	05/12/2023
	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: ICT
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to the guidance by the Central Digital and Data Office entitled Guidance on the Legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework, published on 29 September 2023, how many red-rated IT systems are used by the House of Commons.
	tabling member constituency	Reading East
	tabling member printed	Matt Rodda
	uin	5278
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2023 answer text <p>Parliament does not rate its IT systems according to the Legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework provided by the Central Digital and Data Office.</p><p>Priority One of Parliament’s Digital Strategy 2022–25 is ensuring that its digital services are flexible, secure and resilient, and Priority 3 of the Strategy is to make digital more sustainable and scalable by updating our operating models and identifying opportunities to improve ways of working. One of the ways Parliament supports these priorities is by managing its legacy technology burden and risk.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 12/12/2023 13:00:22 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4654 label Biography information for Matt Rodda

1675621

	registered interest
	date	05/12/2023
	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: Power Failures
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many power cuts have been recorded on the Parliamentary estate in each of the last five years; and where on the estate they occurred.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	5355
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2023 answer text <p>For the purposes of this answer, we are interpreting power cuts to mean loss of power.</p><p>Our records on power losses on the Estate date from 2019, since when 52 incidents have been recorded. The losses range in scale from loss of power to sockets in an individual room to temporary loss of power to a floor in a building.</p><p>These incidents have been recorded in buildings across the Estate; 17 in the Palace of Westminster and 35 spread across the other buildings on the Estate.</p><p>The records do not include (a) the loss of power to some buildings the Northern Estate due to flooding in 2021 and (b) planned maintenance or construction work that requires shutdown of power. Planned power shutdowns are scheduled for out of business hours, including nights and weekends.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 12/12/2023 12:55:42 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker previous answer version 6718 answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1671791

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2023
	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: Telephone Systems
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the adequacy of the telephony system on the parliamentary estate.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	2756
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2023 answer text <p>The telephone system on the parliamentary estate is the subject of a transformative programme called the Voice Programme, and a new telephony system is due to be implemented in 2024. Modernisation of the telephony system to full Voice Over Internet Protocol is also required in preparation for the decommissioning of the analogue service provided through the Public Switched Network.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 27/11/2023 18:37:29 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1671306

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2023
	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: Catering and Shops
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether (a) cash and (b) cards can be used at each (i) food, (ii) drink and (iii) souvenir outlet on the Parliamentary estate.
	tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
	tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
	uin	2520
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2023 answer text <p>Cash and cards can be used on all food, drink and souvenir transactions in catering and souvenir outlets with the exception of two venues in locations away from the main estate and all vending machines, where only card is permitted. The reason for a cashless policy at the two outbuildings is due to security constraints on the transportation of monies between the outbuildings and the main Palace. The cost for monies to be collected outweighed the cash taken. Vending machines are procured as card only for security reasons.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 23/11/2023 11:28:37 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1669030

	registered interest
	date	09/11/2023
	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	High Speed 2 Line: Parliamentary Scrutiny
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of parliamentary scrutiny of sections of HS2 that have since been cancelled.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	1097
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2023 answer text <p>The table below outlines an estimate of the cost to the public purse of parliamentary scrutiny of sections of HS2 that have since been cancelled. The costs of committee visits, the transcription of committee hearings, reports by the Independent Assessor and additional staffing have all been taken into account.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Select Committee on the High Speed Rail (West Midlands – Crewe) Bill</strong></p></td><td colspan="3"><p><strong>Select Committee on the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Committee visits</p></td><td colspan="2"><p>£2,620</p></td><td colspan="3"><p>£4,006.89</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Transcription of Committee hearings</p></td><td colspan="2"><p>£54,313</p></td><td colspan="3"><p>£24,811.50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Reports of the Independent Assessor</p></td><td colspan="2"><p>£184,760.58</p></td><td colspan="3"><p>£175,712.40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Staffing</p></td><td colspan="2"><p>N/A</p></td><td colspan="3"><p>£184,826</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td colspan="2"><p>£241,693.58</p></td><td colspan="3"><p>£389,356.79</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p> </p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>£631,050.37</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Under Private Business Standing Order 224A(6)(a)(ii) (‘Comments on environmental statements’), the examiner of petitions for private bills is required to appoint an independent assessor to produce a report on responses to the public consultation on an environmental statement.</p><p>Three reports were published by the independent assessor on the High Speed Rail (West Midlands – Crewe) Act 2021, relating to consultations held on the Environmental Statement, the Supplementary Environmental Statement which accompanied Additional Provision 1, and the Supplementary Environmental Statement which accompanied Additional Provision 2.</p><p>Two reports have so far been published by the independent assessor on the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill, relating to consultations held on the Environmental Statement and the Supplementary Environmental Statement 1 and Additional Provision 1 Environmental Statement.</p><p>Under Private Business Standing Order 224A(10), the costs of the process of appointing an independent assessor, incurred by the House, shall be reimbursed by the government.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 20/11/2023 18:43:25 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker previous answer version 632 answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1665453

	registered interest
	date	17/10/2023
	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: Buildings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many buildings on the parliamentary estate are constructed with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
	tabling member constituency	City of Durham
	tabling member printed	Mary Kelly Foy
	uin	203127
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2023 answer text <p>Completed surveys have identified some elements of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the Palace of Westminster. Fifteen other areas are in the process of being assessed, 11 within the Palace and four within other buildings on the parliamentary estate.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 25/10/2023 14:42:08 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker previous answer version 99569 answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4753 label Biography information for Mary Kelly Foy

1663283

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2023
	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: Training
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much the House of Commons spent on equality and diversity training for staff in the 2022-23 financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Solihull
	tabling member printed	Julian Knight
	uin	201137
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2023 answer text <p>The total spent on equality and diversity training for the financial year 2022–2023 was £47,719.00.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 25/10/2023 14:48:13 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1657022

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2023
	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	Legislation: Parliamentary Scrutiny
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission is considering new initiatives to increase public trust in the parliamentary legislative process.
	tabling member constituency	Solihull
	tabling member printed	Julian Knight
	uin	196666
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2023 answer text <p>The legislative programme, and its content, is the responsibility of the Government. A number of teams across the House Service, primarily the Chamber and Participation team and the Communications team, collectively provide a range of opportunities for the public to learn about the parliamentary legislative process. This includes information on the law-making process as part of public engagement events (such as community outreach sessions, teacher training, school visits to the Education Centre and tours of the Palace of Westminster) and as part of the House’s communications activity (including regular updates on legislation and procedural explainers on social media channels).</p><p>The Commission has not recently discussed new initiatives to increase public trust in the parliamentary legislative process. However, the Administration Committee has recently finished an inquiry investigating how the House of Commons Administration communicates to the public. It will be reporting its findings to the Commission in the Autumn.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 28/09/2023 11:03:55 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight