Oral Answers to Questions

Duncan Hames Excerpts

Monday 26th July 2010 Commons Chamber

The hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, was asked—

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

1. What representations the House of Commons Commission has received from new hon. Members on Parliamentary Information and Communications Technology’s policy that ICT equipment is allocated only to the permanent office of an hon. Member.

[Sir Stuart Bell (Middlesbrough)]

None, sir.

[Duncan Hames]

It is a very serious matter when Members of the House are denied the tools to provide an efficient and effective service to their constituents, at home in their constituencies. Will the hon. Gentleman please consider removing that obstacle to Members, recognising that those such as me who did not rush into taking out office leases saved the taxpayer money and should be entitled to the IT provision available to other Members?

[Sir Stuart Bell]

I sympathise with the hon. Gentleman. If there are special circumstances in any case PICT will be prepared to consider an alternative approach. Under its current approach, each and every Member ought to have a permanent office, either in Westminster or their constituency, before they order equipment. That ensures that the equipment ordered is suitable for the space being occupied, and it avoids the need to relocate often heavy equipment and to set it up twice.