Question

To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what information the Commission holds on the number of contract staff in the House who are paid less than the London Living Wage.

The House of Commons Commission does not hold pay information about individual contractor staff.

The House of Commons is an accredited London Living Wage Employer. In order to obtain our licence the House had to satisfy the Living Wage Foundation that no directly employed or contracted workers engaged on the Parliamentary estate are paid less than the London Living Wage. We can confirm that to our knowledge no contractor working on the Parliamentary Estate is being paid less than the London Living Wage. It is a requirement in our contracts that contractors and sub-contractors’ employees working on the Parliamentary Estate are paid at least the London Living Wage. Additionally, for House of Commons contracts and where the Lords and Commons contract together jointly, contractors and subcontractors which provide services in relation to our contracts, while not having a presence on Parliamentary premises, are required to pay staff working directly on our contracts at least the London Living Wage or the UK Living Wage if based outside London.