Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how many items of postal correspondence were received in the Palace of Westminster in 2024; and, of those, how many were received in the House of Lords.

Answered by Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. 856,751 mail items were received on the Parliamentary Estate in 2024. The Administration does not count which House each item goes to but estimates that approximately 10 to 15 per cent of these items were destined for the House of Lords. These figures do not include courier items or internal mail.

Please note that this figure refers to the whole Parliamentary Estate, not just the Palace of Westminster.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what mechanisms they have introduced to monitor compliance by each government department with section 3(6) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Civil Service Code sets out the responsibility of civil servants to advise ministers in accordance with section 3(6) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. The Government takes seriously its commitment to uphold and support our constitutional arrangements including the conventions which underpin the relationship between Government and Parliament. The Leaders of both Houses are responsible for representing the interests of Parliament in Government and ensuring that the customs and principles that make Parliament unique are properly represented. The Parliamentary Capability Team provides training for civil servants which emphasises the importance of these constitutional principles. Each Government department has a parliamentary team which works with civil servants to give advice on how parliament works.