Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to his Written Answer on 19 September 2023 (HL9892), when he was informed that there was more up to date information than he provided in that Answer, as set out in his Written Answer on 5 March 2024 (HL2638).
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
I was recently made aware that the answer to HL9892 on 19 September 2023 used data collected from a study in 2019 which looked at the total number of vehicles accessing and leaving the Estate from both Carriage Gates and Black Rod's Garden. This data was used as it was from a study carried out by traffic consultants prior to the COVID pandemic and helped inform the implementation of the one-way system in January 2023. The study provided an average estimate of traffic movements on the Estate of circa 3,500 vehicle movements in sitting times, compared to 2,500 vehicle movements during recess periods.
Since the implementation of the one-way system in January 2023 counting has been carried out internally, and the system was refined to provide more precise figures, rather than an estimate. This data was used to answer the written question HL2638 on 5 March 2024, to give an average of 4,052 vehicles in sitting times and 2,285 in recess, based on the data collected in the 2023 calendar year. Unfortunately, it was not identified in HL2638 that this was based on 2023 figures rather than the original 2019 data.
Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to his Written Answer on 28 March (HL5836), between December 2023 and March 2025, what was the percentage increase in cost to Parliament of providing a traffic marshal service working 12 hours a day, 5 days a week and 50 weeks a year.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The cost of the provision of a marshal service at one marshal point for 12 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year has not changed between December 2023 and March 2025.
Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to his Written Answer on 28 March (HL5836), what is the cost to Parliament including VAT of a traffic marshal service working 12 hours a day, 5 days a week and 50 weeks a year.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Further to the Written Answer on 28 March 2025 (HL5836), the cost of the provision of a marshal service at one marshal point for 12 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year would be approximately £75K including VAT.
Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to his Written Answer on 28 March (HL5836), what was the cost in 2023 to Parliament including VAT of a traffic marshal service working 12 hours a day, 5 days a week and 50 weeks a year.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
In December 2023, the cost of the provision of a marshal service at one marshal point for 12 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year would have been approximately £75K including VAT.
Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to his Written Answer on 19 December 2023 (HL926), what is the annual cost to Parliament of a traffic marshal on the Westminster estate.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
It remains the case that Strategic Estates contracts for a service rather than paying individual marshals directly. Because working patterns and shifts are variable, it is not possible to identify accurately the annual cost of individual marshals on the Parliamentary estate. For financial year 24/25 the estimated total cost of traffic marshals to Parliament, excluding those marshalling the underground car park, is £606K excluding VAT. Illustratively, the cost of the provision of a marshal service at one marshal point for 12 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year would be approximately £63K excluding VAT. However, actual marshalling hours vary according to operational need, and this sum is not what an individual traffic marshal would receive in pay. In common with all of our contractors and sub-contractors working in London, we require that our traffic marshals are paid at least the London Living Wage.
Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to his remarks on 8 February (HL Deb col 1740), what are the 8 'near misses' referred to, broken down by (1) date, (2) time, and (3) location; and how many of those incidents involved pedestrians.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Two of the eight near misses referred to involved pedestrians. All of the near misses demonstrate the inherent risk in a mixed-use occupied estate, where it is not possible to segregate pedestrians and traffic, and the importance of a range of mitigations to that risk, including the use, where appropriate, the use of traffic marshals.
Please see the attached table for date, time, and location of the near misses.
Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to his remarks on 8 February (HL Deb col 1740), whether he has had discussions with the Finance Committee over any possible review of the costs and process of managing the traffic marshals on the parliamentary estate.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Finance Committee considered the use and cost of traffic marshals on the parliamentary estate at its meeting in February. Once agreed, the minutes of that discussion will be available on the Committee’s website.
Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment he has made of whether the requirement for traffic marshals on the parliamentary estate, which was recommended in the risk assessment as a way to deal with “what can cause people real harm”, means that any near miss involving a vehicle, building or other stationary object is not covered by that recommendation.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Health and Safety Executive advises that near misses should not be ignored or treated lightly, as they can provide valuable insight into how well you are managing health and safety in your workplace. All the reported near misses (including those that involve a vehicle, building or other stationary object) have the potential to cause injury or ill health to drivers, those in the vicinity of the incident, or through the creation of another hazard. Their continued occurrence shows the inherent risk of relatively high volumes of construction and other traffic in a mixed-use occupied estate and the importance of a range of mitigations to that risk, including the use where appropriate of traffic marshals.
Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to his remarks on 8 February (HL Deb col 1740), whether any of the 'near misses' referred to occurred within 30 metres of a marshal on duty; and if so, how many marshals would have been within that approximate distance at the time.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The eight near misses I referred to on 8 February (HL Deb col 1740) did not occur within 30 metres of a marshal on duty, with half occurring outside the working hours of the marshals. The near misses demonstrate the inherent risk in a mixed-use occupied estate, even during quieter times of the day or night. They highlight the importance of a range of mitigations to that risk, including the use, where appropriate, the use of traffic marshals.
Please see the attached table for further information.
Asked by: Lord Hayward (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what consideration he has given to the need for traffic marshals on the parliamentary estate during (1) the Easter recess, (2) the summer recess, and (3) the General Election period.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The number of traffic marshals is reviewed on a quarterly basis to ensure we have sufficient cover to support ongoing projects. Estate-based colleagues remain on site during most recesses, and it is common for construction work to be undertaken more intensely during recess than in sitting times. In addition, Strategic Estates would consider any opportunity to reduce numbers, for example from 22 December to 2 January 2023 when there were no traffic marshals on the Estate.