Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment he has made of whether the microphones and audio system in the Moses Room are fit for purpose.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The sound system in the Moses room is due to be replaced as part of a project upgrading the facilities across Committee Rooms. This work was recently delayed to ensure that related asbestos works could be undertaken safely. The work on the sound system is now scheduled to be completed in Summer 2026.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether all the microphones in the Chamber work; and, if not, what plans there are to repair them.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The microphones in the Chamber are tested each day in advance of the sitting of the House and are in full working order.
If any Member wishes to identify any particular audio matters in the Chamber, I would be very happy to take this up with the Director of Facilities.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what consideration he has given to commissioning a review by independent consultants to determine whether the microphones and audio systems in the House of Lords are of a satisfactory standard.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
A project led by an independent consultant is currently underway to upgrade the sound systems in both Houses. The suspended microphones in the Lords Chamber were replaced in 2017 and are professional studio quality models. The four main table microphones are to be replaced this summer with similar quality models.
The loudspeakers installed in the backs of all bench seating were replaced last summer with modern models designed for high speech intelligibility. Some deep structural cabling issues with a small number of the speakers are currently being investigated and it is intended that these issues will be resolved over the summer recess.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker when the microphones and audio systems in the Committee Corridor were last inspected; and whether their quality was judged satisfactory.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The sound systems are inspected and tested every day the Committee Rooms are in use. The reported issues with the volume of remote contributions in some Committee Rooms has been identified and remedial works will be completed during the Summer recess.