Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, as we bring the last sitting week of 2024 to a close, it is not only traditional but important that I and my colleagues in the usual channels take this opportunity to pay tribute to individual members of staff who have recently departed or are soon to depart from your Lordships’ House. This also includes taking a moment to reflect on and celebrate the lives of those colleagues who are sadly no longer with us. Many of the individuals mentioned today will be known to noble Lords, having provided many years of exemplary service to this place.
Before doing so, I acknowledge the work of the almost 600 individual currently serving staff members across the House. In many cases, these people are here first thing in the morning, during the day and working late into the night. This equally applies to staff in the Government Whips’ Office and other usual channels offices, who have supported us and the whole House in managing our business. I extend a huge thanks to them all.
Sometimes, it is the things which are carried out quietly, inconspicuously and without fanfare that have the greatest impact on our ability to perform our duties well. These efforts are what enable this House and our work to operate seamlessly and without interruption. This collective effort could not have been demonstrated more expertly than in the moments immediately preceding this year’s general election. One thing that is never in doubt is the reassuring feeling that every team member in the House will always pull together and rise to the occasion, whatever the challenge may be.
Becoming Government Chief Whip in July, after three years as Opposition Chief Whip, was a huge privilege. I pay a particular tribute to the civil servants who work in the Government Whips’ Office, led by Ayeesha Bhutta. Their professionalism in the transition and working with the new Government is a wonderful example of the Civil Service at its best.
I come to individual tributes, beginning with Parthe Ward, who passed away unexpectedly at home in June this year. After joining the House as an assistant librarian in 1990, Parthe was a familiar face at the Library information desk, sourcing and issuing books, answering questions and lifting the spirits of everyone who interacted with her. Answering Members’ queries proved to be Parthe’s forte. Her knowledge of the House, its work and the Library’s collection, and her ability to track down obscure pieces of information were invaluable. More so, her kindness, sense of humour and willingness to help always shone through.
When the opportunity arose in 2016, the Library successfully applied for Parthe to receive an MBE. Modest as ever, when she received the letter she thought somebody was having a joke. She promptly telephoned the honours and appointments secretariat and was told that it was an actual fact and not a joke. Parthenope Lucy Ward had been awarded an MBE for parliamentary services—a true testament to her dedication and service to your Lordships’ House. Parthe is greatly missed by colleagues and Members alike, and we pass on our deepest condolences to her family and friends.
I now come to Clare Treanor, managing editor in Lords Hansard, who is retiring this month. Clare came to the Lords Hansard office from the House of Commons in January 2006. Since 2013, she has been the linchpin of Hansard’s Select Committee transcription work and has read an astonishing volume of Select Committee evidence, to which she has brought to bear her formidable work ethic, keen editorial eye and meticulous organisational skills. Her colleagues have hugely appreciated her steady and thoughtful guidance, and will greatly miss her warm presence in the office.
For her retirement, I understand that Clare is planning to move to Cornwall, an area of the country she knows well, to be closer to her sister and nephew, to whom she is devoted. She is looking forward to taking advantage of the potential for open-air swimming, visiting local galleries, and deploying her enthusiasm and flair for interior design in her new home. We wish Clare all the very best for her well-earned retirement.
The last individual on my list is Elaine Tarry, who retired from Black Rod’s team of formidable doorkeepers in January this year. Elaine joined the House in January 2017, having previously worked as a station manager on the London Underground. A much-liked member of the team, Elaine was always willing to help others and pass on her knowledge. I hear she took to the role very well. I wonder whether that is because, I am told, Elaine is apparently in possession of an unclear number of cats. One of the unique but necessary skills possessed by many doorkeepers is unflappability in a difficult situation. Cats, commuters and Members of your Lordships’ House alike are notoriously difficult to herd. Elaine has now moved on to pursue part-time charity work in her local area and is much missed by the team. We wish her every success in her new role and all the very best for her retirement.
In my closing remarks, I pass on my personal thanks to all colleagues across the usual channels for the support they provide. I suspect we may have a few challenging times ahead but, with the usual courtesy and friendship displayed in our discussions, I am convinced we will continue to work together, and if we cannot agree we can at least disagree amicably.
Finally, as a small festive treat, I am delighted to be able to confirm the answer to a popular question—the Conference Recess dates for 2025. I have already announced recess dates up to that point, which, of course, remain subject to the progress of business. If business proceeds as currently planned, I can confirm that the House will rise for the Conference Recess on Thursday 18 September and return on Monday 13 October. I hope colleagues will find this useful in planning.
I wish colleagues from across the House and all noble Lords a very merry and restful Christmas, followed by a very happy new year.
Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)
My Lords, I start by completely endorsing the remarks made by the Government Chief Whip. I also personally thank the Government Whips’ Office team for their sterling support and work during my time as Government Chief Whip. They are a great team and it was a real privilege to work with them. One of the things about a change of Government is that it does not give you a chance to thank people, so I am very glad that I can publicly do so now.
I also thank my team in the Opposition Whips’ Office, who have provided support for our Front-Benchers and Conservative Peers. Again, they are a superb team and I am most grateful for the way they have hit the ground running—literally—in such a professional and enthusiastic fashion.
I am also grateful and thankful for the Government Chief Whip. Despite appearances sometimes, he and I work very well together, sometimes in more testing times than others, but I think we can say that we respect each other and our roles. I hope we can continue to bring the Christmas good cheer well into the new year.
It is my honour and duty to pay tribute to Justus Jerome Abrao. He was a cherished member of the catering and retail services team who passed away in April. He was a dedicated member of the waiting staff, playing a pivotal role in the banqueting team, and he occasionally lent his talents to the Peers’ Dining Room. He joined the team in June 2023 and quickly became known for his exceptional work ethic, his warm personality and unwavering commitment to excellence. Very sadly, Justus passed away in a tragic accident in India in April. He has left a profound void in the team and in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing him.
From all reports, Justus bought an unparalleled enthusiasm to his work. Whether attending to guests in the banqueting team or assisting in the Peers’ Dining Room, he consistently went above and beyond, embodying the true spirit of teamwork. His colleagues could always rely on him to offer a helping hand or take the initiative in tackling the next task. Even on the most demanding days, he faced every challenge with a genuine smile that lifted the spirits of everyone around him.
Justus’s kindness, positivity and professionalism did not go unnoticed. He had a unique ability to make those around him feel valued and appreciated, be they colleagues or guests. His calm demeanour, coupled with his relentless dedication to his role, made him a standout member of our team. Though his time with us was tragically cut short, his impact was immense. He will be remembered not only for his contributions to our service but for the warmth and joy he brought to our workplace. May he rest in peace.
Baroness Thornhill (LD)
My Lords, on behalf of these Benches, I express our most sincere condolences to Parthe Ward’s colleagues in the Library and everyone who knew her. She was clearly a highly regarded person, and across the House we were all shocked and saddened to hear of her death. She is greatly missed.
I too echo the thanks to everyone who works to keep the House running smoothly. There are times when I suspect it is rather like the swan: all appears calm and serene, but I am sure there is lots going on underneath.
My first tribute is to Gordon Hunt. Gordon worked as head cashier for more than 25 years before retiring this May. He has a warm, approachable personality and was well respected by colleagues in the catering team and by staff across the administration. He was an exceptionally knowledgeable and diligent member of the team, with a keen eye for detail, which is useful in a cashier and in finance. He was often the first point of contact for many colleagues, helping to resolve many and various issues, and going above and beyond the call of duty to help his colleagues. Gordon was a well-liked member of the team and is missed by all his colleagues. He will, however, now have more time to watch football—he is a proud supporter of Fulham Football Club—follow the cricket and spend time with his grandchildren. Given Fulham’s past fortunes, watching them will be more enjoyable now than previously.
Peter Linge’s colleagues wrote an essay, which shows how popular he is. This is a shortened version. Peter was senior commercial manager in the Parliamentary Commercial Directorate. He had worked on parliamentary procurement projects since 1977 and moved over full time to the Parliamentary Estate on secondment in 1991. The House authorities obviously spotted a good thing, because they made him permanent 16 months later, and Peter worked here ever since. For the majority of the time between 1977 and 1991, he was involved with some of the procurements involving Parliament, including the first competitively tendered maintenance contract for the Great Clock and phases of the external stone cleaning and restoration project. For more than 17 years, Peter was the only procurement support for the then Parliamentary Works Directorate. He worked on a large number of procurement projects, including the cast-iron roofs, Operation Marquee and Millbank House. However, he was at pains to say that he was not involved at all in the procurement around Portcullis House.
Considering Peter’s exceptional accomplishments and significant contributions to the commercial field within Parliament, he is highly deserving of this mention in the House. His tireless efforts have undoubtedly had a profound and lasting impact on Parliament as a whole. Beyond his official responsibilities, Peter consistently went above and beyond to actively mentor colleagues. His significant corporate memory has been invaluable to colleagues, and he will be missed. Outside work, Peter has a wide range of interests, in particular researching his ancestry. Associated with this activity, he is a member of the Society of Genealogists. He has recently taken to horology, and has an interest in working on historic clocks, servicing and repairing many grandfather clocks dating back to the 17th century. He loves pre-1960s films and old gramophone records and is a keen amateur discographer—yes, I had to look that up.
Mark Ogden started in the House of Lords in October 1993 and at the point of his retirement this year had completed more than 30 years’ service. Initially, Mark was employed as a porter, but the following year he moved to the catering department as a kitchen porter under the direction of the then executive chef Mark Thatcher. After some time in the kitchens, Mark moved to the catering stores as a storekeeper, ensuring the smooth handling and transition of all catering deliveries, and that they got to the right department of the right kitchen intact and on time. In 1998, Mark moved to the House of Lords Gift Shop as a senior sales assistant, where he remained until his retirement in 2024. In between filling the shelves and replenishing, Mark would be on hand to offer his exemplary standard of customer care, assisting Members, staff and visitors with purchases or inquiries. Mark was a very popular and respected member of the catering and retail team. This was also shown through his role as a trade union representative within that team. Members of staff were always happy to approach Mark for advice and support, and he was always ready and willing to provide it. The whole catering team wish Mark a happy and healthy retirement, as do we. It will provide him with the opportunity to spend more time following his beloved Millwall Football Club. Unlike the Millwall fans’ chant, it is clear that everybody likes him, and they do care.
The Earl of Kinnoull (CB)
My Lords, before I pay tribute to three most wonderful staff members, I fully associate myself with the thanks expressed by my fellow usual channels’ colleagues in general to the whole House. I add two additional thanks. The first is for the many additional kindnesses that so many staff have shown to Members in doing things that are entirely outwith their job descriptions; with our slightly older Cross Benches, that is a special and helpful thing.
Secondly, I want to mention the security guards whose job it is to stand in the wintry cold of our current front door arrangements. They have the warmest of smiles and the quickest of witty remarks as one emerges from the pod.
James Cameron-Wood retires at the end of December after 12 years of dedicated service. Prior to the House of Lords, he had 29 years of exemplary service in the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of chief petty officer and specialising in electronic warfare and intelligence. He joined the House as a doorkeeper in January 2013 and became Deputy Principal Doorkeeper in July 2019. He has, with his much-medalled chest, had leading roles on numerous state occasions, particularly for the lying in state of Her late Majesty the Queen. I was on duty on a vigil guard and could see him for a number of the 20 minutes there, with often very distressed people, helping them along and keeping the whole thing flowing, and that gave us strength in doing what we were doing. He was, of course, also present for the Coronation.
In 2014 he received a commendation from the chief superintendent of the parliamentary police for outstanding professionalism and vigilance. This concerned preventing three protesters from disrupting the visit of the Canadian Prime Minister—and I am jolly sure that other chief petty officer skills were employed on that occasion.
James was instrumental in the design and development of the Peers’ Guest Room booking system, a practical system that works very well and that I use every day. He and his wife Alison have now moved to Scarborough, and I wish him on behalf of the House very well for a long and happy retirement.
Jane White started in the House of Lords in 2003 when she was appointed to the snappily named Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee as an adviser. This was rapidly renamed our very own Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, and Jane worked for that committee from its inception in 2003 until her retirement. She played a critical role in developing the committee as the highly regarded mechanism for effective scrutiny of secondary legislation that it is today. She was instrumental in getting systemic improvements made within government departments for their treatment of secondary legislation—through, I know, force of logic and force of personality in equal measure.
The committee met great scrutiny challenges in Brexit and in the Covid pandemic, and a number of its members have commented to me what a tower of strength she was then and how inspirational she was in handling those issues. Over her career she became the institutional authority for all issues relating to secondary legislation and, unsurprisingly, in 2020 Jane received an OBE for services to Parliament. She has a joyful and wicked sense of humour and, as a number of colleagues whom she line-managed have said, their careers have flourished under her tutelage.
To celebrate her well-earned retirement, Jane and her husband went to Japan, although at that time they were without their two daughters and spaniel Indie. A lover of gardening and whisky—she should be Scottish—I wish her too on behalf of the House a very long and happy retirement.
Sarah Kerr, who is my private secretary, has worked in the Lords since March 2003. After roles across the House and in the Leader’s office, Sarah became assistant private secretary to three successive Clerks of the Parliaments. They and their private secretaries relied on her calm and authoritative presence and organisational skill. When she took on that role, she focused on ensuring that services were resilient, and chose to cross-train her teams to cover each other’s tasks. As Covid hit, that attention to colleagues and continuous process improvement proved utterly vital. Due in large part to Sarah’s foresight, the Clerk’s office was able to continue nearly seamlessly, including providing support to ensure that sittings of the House could carry on unimpeded.
In Sarah’s role, her mix of kindness, tact and nous have enabled her to excel, having arrived at the Cross Benches, in the pastoral elements of supporting 180 or so Cross-Benchers and in the varied diet that is the convenor’s work. She particularly shone following the sudden illness of Lord Judge. While as upset as all of us, she quickly made arrangements for an interim convenor, handled the many messages from members and staff and made arrangements for the election of the new convenor. In short, she single-handedly kept the show running. She is very highly regarded by each and every one of the Cross-Bench Peers, and in my 20 months I can say that I have become in awe of her capacity, skill and work ethic. As a manager, she has concentrated on coaching and developing those who reported to her, and time and again she has had vacancies in her team caused by the promotion of staff whom she had selflessly encouraged in their careers.
Sarah’s favourite band, the Felice Brothers, specialising as they do in Americana—that blend of country, folk and rock—has a notably loyal following, and very much to the fore of that are Sarah and her husband Dougie. Her retirement will give Dougie and her even more time to stalk the Felice Brothers around the world, and I am sure that she will.
I have had quite a lot of people write to me about Sarah’s retirement. Ed Ollard has put it better than I could, saying that she
“has an amazing skill and grace. The sort of person you want to have around & you will be confident that she will ensure any outcome will be as good as it could be”.
I can only agree.
I thank my fellow usual channels, who have been incredibly helpful to me and indeed to the Cross Benches this year. We have made a number of requests, and I am deeply grateful that they are almost always met in whole or in part. It is a lot of fun working with people whom I see regularly and share the odd Jaffa cake with. Having said that, I wish the whole House, every member of staff and every Member a happy Christmas.