The following information about decisions on the new security contract arrangements was published in March 2014:<\/p>
\u201cIn March 2015, the current contract with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to provide armed protection, policing and security officer functions will expire. Over the last year, the Security Arrangements Renewal Programme (SARP) Board has been working to analyse options and make a recommendation on new contract arrangements to be introduced next year. That recommendation was endorsed by the Lords House Committee and the Commons Commission.<\/p>
The agreed recommendation is that the two Houses should renegotiate with the MPS to continue to provide security officer functions, armed protection and policing, whilst moving the provision of the search and screening function for the three main public entrances (Black Rod's Garden, Cromwell Green and Portcullis House) to a specialist commercial provider. The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments have now written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner requesting new arrangements from 2015, and a commercial procurement for search and screening will start soon.<\/p>
This is a major contract for Parliament, both in terms of its financial value and its central role in ensuring the security of parliamentarians, employees and visitors to the Parliamentary Estate. As well as continuing to benefit from the expertise and experience of the Metropolitan Police officers and staff, new search and screening arrangements at the busiest public entrances will be better able to provide the greater flexibility and scalability needed to meet Parliament's changing requirements for public access\u201d.<\/p>
Discussions with the Metropolitan Police Service on future arrangements are continuing. Security matters are not discussed on the floor of the House and the House Committee has agreed to the initial approach taken by the Security Arrangements Renewal Programme Board. That Committee will be further consulted during the process. I have no plans to initiate a debate on the floor of the House.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sewel"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Sewel"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-18T17:07:15.9211065Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "200"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Chairman of Committees (HoL)"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "House of Lords: Security"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chairman of Committees whether he will initiate a debate in the House of Lords before any decision is taken to privatise the security arrangements of the House.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/950", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Stoddart of Swindon"} ], "uin" : "HL213"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58567", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Chairman of Committees"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58567/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The House of Lords does not draw any of its food from organic sources nor is any of the food offered categorised as \u201cwhole-food\u201d. Fruit and vegetables used by the House sourced from the home counties are set out in the table below. Free-range chicken served in the House is mostly from Gloucestershire and Essex. The Salt Marsh lamb is from the Romney Marsh in Kent.<\/p>
<\/p>
Produce<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Source county<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> Asparagus<\/p><\/td> Hampshire<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Beetroot<\/p><\/td> Bedfordshire<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Bramley apple<\/p><\/td> Cambridgeshire<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Cauliflower<\/p><\/td> Kent<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Herbs (potted)<\/p><\/td> Hampshire<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Jacket potatoes<\/p><\/td> Hertfordshire<\/p><\/td><\/tr> New potatoes<\/p><\/td> Kent<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Raspberries<\/p><\/td> Sussex<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Red potatoes<\/p><\/td> Kent<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Spring greens<\/p><\/td> Cambridgeshire<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Strawberries<\/p><\/td> Kent<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Tomatoes (gourmet)<\/p><\/td> Sussex<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Vitelotte potatoes<\/p><\/td> Kent<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sewel"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "House of Lords: Food"}
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, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Chairman of Committees what proportion of the food used in the House of Lords is (1) grown in the home counties; and (2) drawn from organic and whole-food sources.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2018", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Hylton"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/45831", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Chairman of Committees"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/45831/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Encaustic Tile Programme is a seven year conservation programme to replace and repair the encaustic tiles throughout the Palace of Westminster. As part of the programme, tiles which are in good condition are either left in place or re-used elsewhere whenever possible.<\/p> In some cases, the tiles cannot be re-used elsewhere, and the Administration and Works Committee in the Lords and the Administration Committee in the Commons have agreed that, in these cases, some tiles should be kept for archival purposes, some tiles should be donated to museums or related institutions, and a limited number of tiles should be sold.<\/p> The Committees in both Houses are currently discussing the details of this proposal.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sewel"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Chairman of Committees whether there are plans to sell or give away the tiles currently being replaced in the Palace of Westminster.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4238", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Storey"}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Storey"}
], "uin" : "HL6435"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/41758", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Chairman of Committees"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/41758/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " As at 7 March 2014, 34 Members had entries registered under category 8.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sewel"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Sewel"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-11T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Chairman of Committees how many Members of the House of Lords currently have entries under category 8 (Gifts, benefits and hospitality) of the Register of Lords' Financial and other Interests.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1854", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Marlesford"}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Marlesford"}
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