Accommodation

Debate between Greg Knight and Stuart Bell

Friday 12th November 2010 Ministerial Corrections

[Sir Stuart Bell]

The following positions in the House entitle the holder to accommodation: Clerk of the House, Serjeant at Arms, Speaker's Secretary, Head Office Keeper and two Senior Office Keepers. Sleeping facilities are provided for the Deputy Serjeant at Arms, Assistant Serjeant at Arms, Clerk Assistant, Clerk of Committees and Clerk of Legislation, reflecting their particular need to be available on the parliamentary estate over prolonged periods and at unpredictable times. The addresses of the accommodation are: 2 Parliament street, 3 Parliament street, 2a Canon row, 2b Canon row, 4 Canon row, 102 Rochester row and 22 John Islip street. The sleeping facilities are also used by other staff when there is a need to do so.

The list of officials who are provided with sleeping facilities should have included the Assistant Secretary to the Speaker and the Speaker's Trainbearer, and the addresses of that accommodation should have included the Palace of Westminster.

[Mr Knight]

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many staff in the House of Commons Service are provided with (a) overnight and (b) residential accommodation and facilities other than a worktime office; what positions are held by such persons; what accommodation is provided; and for what reason in each case.

[Official Report, 9 November 2010, Vol. 518, c. 220-221W.]

Letter of correction from Sir Stuart Bell:

An error has been identified in the written answer given to the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr Knight) on 9 November 2010. The full answer given was as follows:

[Sir Stuart Bell]

The House of Commons provides single-room hostel-style sleeping accommodation in John Islip street, for up to 17 staff who undertake occasional late duties. Staff including doorkeepers and administrative staff are eligible to use the sleeping accommodation provided they satisfy the following guidelines:

They are expected to be on duty to support the House or its Committees after 10.30 pm and they live outside the 25 mile taxi radius.

They are on duty until the rising of the House if this is expected to be after 7.30 pm and they are required for duty before 8.30 am the following day.

There is a departmental business reason and they have prior approval.

In addition, sleeping facilities on the estate are provided for the Deputy Serjeant at Arms, Assistant Serjeant at Arms, Clerk Assistant, Clerk of Committees, Clerk of Legislation, Assistant Secretary to the Speaker and the Speaker’s Trainbearer. This reflects the requirement that they are present on the parliamentary estate over prolonged periods and at unpredictable times.

Six staff are entitled to residential accommodation so that they can be available for duty at short notice. They are the Clerk of the House, Serjeant at Arms, Speaker’s Secretary, Head Office Keeper and two Senior Office Keepers. The addresses of the accommodation are: 2 Parliament street, 3 Parliament street, 2a Canon row, 2b Canon row, 4 Canon row and a flat at 102 Rochester row.

The answer should have included the information that, if the hostel-style accommodation is insufficient for demand, additional accommodation is provided in a budget hotel chain; and that a small number of doorkeepers have protected rights to overnight accommodation when the House is sitting, provided at the Union Jack Club (which is not owned by the House), but that this has been phased out for more recent recruits.