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>
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>
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>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/103", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mole Valley"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Paul Beresford"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-01-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-01-15T23:47:42.177Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "18"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-01-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Big Ben"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "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.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/280", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Michael Fabricant"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lichfield"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Michael Fabricant"} ], "uin" : "2417"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1170507", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1170507/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The costs associated with striking Big Ben on Remembrance Sunday and New Year's Eve in 2019 were £14.2k including VAT in total.<\/ins> 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>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/103", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mole Valley"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Paul Beresford"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1170507/answer/previousversion/1393", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/103", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mole Valley"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Paul Beresford"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-01-16T20:09:42.277Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
], "questionFirstMinisteriallyCorrected" : [{"_value" : "2020-02-19T08:40:44.973Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "18"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-01-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Big Ben: Festivals and Special Occasions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "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.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1444", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Mark Francois"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rayleigh and Wickford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Mark Francois"}
], "uin" : "2442"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1168405", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1168405/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The House of Commons Commission has not received a request from the Government to arrange for Big Ben to chime to mark the UK\u2019s departure from the EU.<\/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> 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> Exit day chimes of Big Ben<\/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> (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> 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>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/103", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mole Valley"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Paul Beresford"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-01-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-01-07T13:30:44.197Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "18"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "House of Commons Commission"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-12-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Big Ben"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "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.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4432", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Patrick Grady"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Patrick Grady"}
], "uin" : "154"}
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on each occasion.<\/del><\/p>