House of Lords: Remote Proceedings

Baroness Coussins Excerpts

Tuesday 21st April 2020 Lords Chamber

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

I thank the noble Lord for that question. He will be aware that there are two stages to this process. The first—stage 1—is limited to 50 Peers, as we know. Stage 2, which we hope to implement on 5 May, will ensure a wider range of facilities, including live broadcasting. As the technology allows and as time passes, we will enhance the facilities available to Members to ensure, as I mentioned earlier, that every Member has the same opportunity to participate in the House.

[Baroness Coussins (CB)]

My Lords, is the Senior Deputy Speaker aware that the Foreign Office language school has used Zoom to deliver its language classes since the lockdown began? As one of its language students, I found it very easy to participate—much easier than being on Teams. What have the security, or other, concerns been around this House using Zoom from the start when it appears to be acceptable to both the Foreign Office and the House of Commons?

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

I thank the noble Baroness for her question. She may have heard me explain earlier that the House of Commons has precedence in taking up Zoom, so we have been behind on that issue. We have been advised by the experts that there are certain questions of security. I will not go through them now but I am happy to write to the noble Baroness on this issue. She may have heard the Lord Speaker on the “Today” programme this morning, where he presented the House of Commons case very well indeed and mentioned that we will hopefully move to Zoom eventually in stage 2.