Question

To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker what is the current estimated cost of changing the typeface for the printed version of the House of Lords Official Report from a serif to a sans-serif typeface.

Answered by Lord McLoughlin

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. The suggested redesign of the printed version of the House of Lords Official Report, in which the change in font is one element, has not been finalised or approved, so there are as yet no formal quotes from the third-party supplier, but the expectation is that costs would be low. The House of Lords Services Committee will be provided with the estimated costs before any final decisions are taken.

Question

To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on the 6 January (HL13198), how many individual comments were received; and, of those comments, how many were (1) in favour of, and (2) opposed to, changing the typeface for the printed version of the House of Lords Official Report from a serif to a sans-serif typeface.

Answered by Lord McLoughlin

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.  In total, 20 individual responses were received on the total redesign package, offering varying views on different aspects. Specifically on the proposed change of font, which was covered in nine of the responses, two were in favour, three did not offer a preference and four preferred the current font. Some concerns were also raised about the front page and the suggested design was amended accordingly. The redesign remains a work in progress and will be reviewed again by the House of Lords Services Committee alongside further consultation with Members before any decision is taken.

Question

To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 6 January (HL13198), who initiated the preparation of the paper which was presented to the Services Committee in May 2025 regarding the proposal to change the printed version of the House of Lords Official Report from a serif to a sans-serif typeface.

Answered by Lord McLoughlin

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. Hansard initiated the paper proposing changes to the design of the printed version in consideration of contemporary accessibility standards. The existing design does not conform to contemporary accessibility standards in several ways. The justified layout is generally regarded as more difficult for visually impaired and dyslexic people to follow, and the serif text requires more effort to read than non-serif fonts. This work is being done in tandem with House of Commons Hansard, with which post-production processes are shared, so a divergence of approach would be likely to increase costs.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to seek a redesign of the Lesser Arms used in government communications; and if so, what discussions they plan to have with (1) the Royal Household, and (2) the College of Arms, about the matter.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government Communication Service routinely reviews its branding guidance to ensure it remains effective, accessible and fit for purpose across all channels, including digital platforms.

Any costs associated with routine updates to branding guidance are covered by existing operational budgets. We continue to engage with relevant stakeholders, including the Royal Household, in accordance with standard protocols.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to seek a redesign of the Lesser Arms used in government communications; and if so, what is the maximum budget they have allocated for those plans.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government Communication Service routinely reviews its branding guidance to ensure it remains effective, accessible and fit for purpose across all channels, including digital platforms.

Any costs associated with routine updates to branding guidance are covered by existing operational budgets. We continue to engage with relevant stakeholders, including the Royal Household, in accordance with standard protocols.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to seek a redesign of the Lesser Arms used in government communications; and if so, whether they plan to hold a public consultation about the matter.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government Communication Service routinely reviews its branding guidance to ensure it remains effective, accessible and fit for purpose across all channels, including digital platforms.

Any costs associated with routine updates to branding guidance are covered by existing operational budgets. We continue to engage with relevant stakeholders, including the Royal Household, in accordance with standard protocols.