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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

1169759

registered interest
date	09/01/2020
answering body	Members Estimate Committee
answering dept id	91
answering dept short name	Members Estimate Committee
answering dept sort name	Members Estimate Committee
hansard heading	Representative Money
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member representing the Members Estimate Committee, how much (a) was paid between the 2015 and 2019 general elections and (b) is scheduled to be paid between 12 December 2019 and 12 December 2020 in Representative Monies to parties whose Members had not taken the oath.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	1697
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2020 answer text <p>Under a resolution of the House, Representative Money is provided to opposition parties represented by Members who have chosen not to take the Oath.</p><p>Budget allocations for Representative Money since 2005-06 are published in Appendix 4 of the following document:<br>https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN01663</p><p>Since 2016-17 it has been a requirement to publish the amounts paid for the financial year and these can be found on the Parliament website via the following link:<br>https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/transparency-publications/hoc-transparency-publications/financial-information/financial-assistance-to-opposition-parties/<br>previous-financial-assistance-to-opposition-parties/</p><p>The Representative Money scheduled to be paid following the General Election on 12 December 2019 to the end of the current financial year (31 March 2020) will be published in due course on the above page, as will amounts relating to subsequent financial years.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 14/01/2020 19:03:15 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

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

347366

registered interest
date	28/05/2015
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	Members: Postal Services
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, when and how it was decided to stop using Royal Mail to deliver parliamentary mail to hon. Members.
tabling member constituency	Blaydon
tabling member printed	Mr David Anderson
uin	329
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/06/2015 answer text <p>The House of Commons spends approximately £500k per annum on the mail forwarding service for Members, and, in compliance with UK Procurement Regulations, is required to seek competition for the service, and to award the contract to the supplier that represents the best overall value for money, taking service, quality and cost factors into account.</p><p>In accordance with the Regulations, and the House’s procurement rules, the mail forwarding contract was tendered using a framework set up by the Crown Commercial Service. Invitation to Tender was in September 2014 with an award of contract made in December 2014. Royal Mail submitted a bid, but were not the best overall value for money supplier; that was DX (Group), who met all the service requirements and will realise savings of between 15% to 20% on the previous arrangements.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 03/06/2015 16:01:06 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	1486 label Biography information for Mr David Anderson

348261

registered interest
date	03/06/2015
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: Asbestos
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 progress has been made on the operation of Parliament's Asbestos Management Plan; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
uin	1032
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2015 answer text <p>Owing to its historic nature, asbestos deposits are present within the Palace of Westminster. The Parliamentary Estates Directorate operates an Asbestos Management Plan which it uses to safely manage asbestos across the whole of the parliamentary estate, in full compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.<br><br>During the successful installation of new, modern equipment in the plant room that supplies the Chamber and adjacent offices, a series of asbestos reassurance tests have been carried out. Traces of asbestos were recently found in the ventilation trunking, but extensive sampling at the vents has provided very high confidence that it is not becoming airborne.<br><br>Professor R J Willey, Managing Director of ACS Physical Risk Control Ltd has undertaken an urgent review of the evidence, and concluded: “It is my considered Opinion that, after the discovery, proper procedures were timeously followed. Detailed investigation of the results of air tests taken, over a considerable period following the discovery, show quite conclusively that there was negligible risk to any persons supplied with air from the duct system. Providing current conditions are maintained, there will be negligible risk to any persons supplied with air in the future from the duct system.”<br><br>The Commission and the House authorities regard the safety of Members, staff and the visiting public as their highest priority. Steps have therefore been taken to ensure that the ventilation system is not disturbed in any way. Steps will also be taken to eradicate the asbestos in the trunking by the end of 2015, but in the meantime we are content with this authoritative advice that there is no reason to stop using the Chamber, or the adjacent offices and spaces.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 09/06/2015 12:44:37 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

348263

registered interest
date	03/06/2015
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	Members: Travel
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 proportion of hon. Members travel from their constituency address to the House in (a) less than one hour, (b) more than one but less than two hours, (c) more than two but less than three hours, (d) more than three but less than four hours and (e) more than four hours.
tabling member constituency	Isle of Wight
tabling member printed	Mr Andrew Turner
uin	955
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2015 answer text <p>The House does not collect information on which it could base an answer to this question. Responsibility for repayment of Members’ costs for travel between their constituencies and Westminster transferred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in 2010.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 08/06/2015 15:58:27 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	1426 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Turner

349227

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
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 Impairment
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, if the Commission will consider what facilities can be made available to hon. Members and staff who are hard of hearing in non-public meetings in rooms on the Estate; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Walsall North
tabling member printed	Mr David Winnick
uin	1510
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>A number of meeting rooms on the estate do not currently have any microphone facilities and hence have no induction loops. Low spill induction loop systems would not be practical as the rooms are close together and would pick up easily what is being discussed in the adjacent rooms. Following the hon. Member’s question, officials in the Department of Facilities will work with the House of Commons audiovisual (AV) contractor to provide costings for a solution to address the issue he has raised and will keep the hon. Member informed of progress.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 15/06/2015 14:24:09 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	316 label Biography information for Mr David Winnick

349339

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
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	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, how much has been spent on repair, renovation and restoration of the Palace of Westminster in each financial year from 2005 to 2015.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	1774
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>The two Houses spent the following amounts on repair, renovation and restoration of the Palace of Westminster in each financial year from 2007/08 to 2014/15. Figures before 2007/08 are not available.</p><p>2007/08 - £27.6m<br>2008/09 - £18.4m<br>2009/10 - £31.6m<br>2010/11 - £29.2m<br>2011/12 - £29.3m<br>2012/13 - £36.3m<br>2013/14 - £42.2m<br>2014/15 - £48.7m (Provisional, subject to audit)</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford question first answered 15/06/2015 14:22:38 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

349340

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
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	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, by what process the Commission procures repair and renovation work for the Palace of Westminster.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	1775
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>The process by which repair and renovation of the Palace of Westminster is procured – whether for the purpose of the longer-term Restoration and Renewal Programme, the Medium Term Investment Plan, or otherwise:</p><ol><li>is shaped by objectives specified in an Outline Business Case produced in accordance with the Treasury Green Book Five Case model;</li><li>is resolved by a contract awarded through an open and competitive tender procedure that is compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015;</li><li>takes into consideration whether compliant collaborative procurement options, where available, are a viable option according to the scope of the work;</li><li>includes a specification and range of award criteria which are representative of, and will be capable of realising, the value-for-money objectives determined by the respective Outline Business Case;</li><li>may be considered within a higher level Gateway Review Assurance process where considered appropriate.</li></ol><p><br>The default position in the Houses’ Procurement Policy is to set evaluation criteria weightings of 70% for price and 30% for quality. We expect these ratios to be applied when procuring repair and renovation works. The House Procurement Policy goes on to provide a waiver process by which a justification and recommendation can be made to vary these weightings according to circumstances and value-for-money considerations specific to a given procurement. A contract that looks to transfer a higher level of responsibility and liability for design to the contractor is a common example of where the balance in weighting may be moved towards quality as a consequence of a waiver application.</p><p>The need for repairs is determined with reference to a number of factors: condition surveys of the Estate; an annual exercise to prioritise the portfolio of projects; inspections carried out on a quadrennial basis; advice from the House’s Design Authority; and calls to the PED Helpdesk. In particular:</p><ol><li>A comprehensive condition survey of the Estate was carried out in 2008/09, the results of which fed into a 25-year plan. This survey identified a significant number of defects, the works for which were all priced and given recommended completion dates. These tasks were then packaged minor or major projects and added to the scope of existing works within the 25-year plan.</li><li>Following on from this comprehensive survey, there is a rolling programme of condition surveys every two years, which similarly identifies defects and further work.</li><li>An annual exercise is undertaken by senior managers, including the Director General of Facilities and the Finance Director, to assess and prioritise the portfolio of projects in order to inform the Medium Term Investment Plan for the following four-year period. Projects are prioritised, taking the following factors into account:</li></ol><ul><li>compliance with legislative or contractual requirements;</li><li>business objectives;</li><li>mitigation of the risk of failure to services;</li><li>conservation of the fabric of the buildings.</li></ul><p><br>The Medium Term Investment Plan is then considered by the Finance Committee before being approved by the House of Commons Commission.</p><ol><li>The Palace of Westminster is a Grade 1 listed building, and PED follows best practice by ensuring that an inspection is carried out every four years by the Conservation and Architectural Team. These inspections identify tasks which should be carried out to ensure the fabric of the building is maintained properly.</li><li>The PED Design Authority, established in 2011, is committed to “ensure consistent standards, value for money, statutory compliance and user satisfaction”. Practically, it concentrates on the lifecycle of the engineering assets, ensuring that initial and replacement capital costs are balanced with the ongoing operating and maintenance costs, and with identified business needs. It acts as a Central Engineering department, and advises on the requirements for works and systems and services across the Parliamentary Estate.</li><li>PED has a helpdesk system which receives and handles building faults reported by Members, Members’ staff, and staff of the House. These faults are prioritised according to service level agreements.</li></ol><p><br>The Director General of Facilities would be happy to brief the hon. Member in more detail, should he wish.</p> answering member constituency Mole Valley answering member printed Sir Paul Beresford grouped question UIN 1776 1777 question first answered 15/06/2015 11:46:30 answering member 103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray