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answer text |
<p>The Parliamentary Security Department and Strategic Estates teams were consulted
when preparing the answer to HL4851, along with House of Lords Administration officials.<br></p><p>The
design and cost of security projects for Parliament go through rigorous internal scrutiny.
The Clerk of the Parliaments and Clerk of the House, as Accounting and Corporate Officers,
have responsibility for approving final business cases for security projects across
the Parliamentary Estate, subject to advice from the Finance Directors and other relevant
officials.<br></p><p>The Clerk of the Parliaments’ decisions on security projects
are informed by consultation with the House of Lords Commission, which ensures that
the impact on Members is taken into account, and by the Finance Committee which receives
regular reports regarding security expenditure. There is also significant oversight
by the Finance Director. The Clerk of the House is informed by the equivalent groups
and individuals in the House of Commons. Ultimately it is not the House that makes
the final decision because security is a bicameral issue, and legal responsibility
for safety sits with the Clerk of the Parliaments and Clerk of the House.<br></p><p>Governance
of the Security Programme for Parliament is provided by the Quarterly Review Group
(QRG). Membership includes the Clerk of the House of Commons and Clerk of the Parliaments,
the Finance Directors of both Houses, the Chief Operating Officer of the House of
Lords and DG Operations of the House of Commons, and a non-executive external advisor
(the Director of Property for the Royal Household).<br></p><p>The Parliamentary Security
Department and Strategic Estates also consult external experts, including the Metropolitan
Police Service, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure, and Historic
England to inform the Security Programme.</p>
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