Friendly Wifi Certification

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd September 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

The noble Earl makes a very generous point. I had a meeting with the managing director of the Parliamentary Digital Service yesterday, and one thing that he particularly said to me was that it is in its mission to ensure that the workforce has the right technical skills to deliver the services that Members and the wider parliamentary community rely on for efficiency and effectiveness.

[Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Con)]

My Lords, if Parliament is not going to apply for this Friendly Wifi certification, could the Senior Deputy Speaker use some of the time that is now available to try to ensure that every single Member of your Lordships’ House has an effective working landline delivered to their desks throughout the building? At present, the landline situation in many buildings, particularly in Millbank, is absolutely disgraceful.

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

I have to say that this is one of the areas of concern that I pick up constantly. I am assured that work is in progress to ensure that we have a telephone that we can pick up and put a call through on, and it will work.