Question

To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether steps are being taken to improve the reliability of security scanners (a) in Portcullis House and (b) across the Parliamentary estate.

The security scanners (X ray machines) in Portcullis House and across the Parliamentary estate are owned by Parliament and maintained by an external company under a maintenance and service contract. The contract is managed rigorously with robust KPI targets. In support of the contract, engineers are security cleared and have regular attendance on site.

The equipment at high volume entrances such as Portcullis House is in constant use Monday through Friday, and this heavy usage will lead to occasional failures of the equipment, despite regular servicing, with daily and weekly testing. When such temporary failures occur, alternative search regimes are utilised to ensure the entrance can remain open as normal without compromising the security of the Estate. During these infrequent occasions, wait times at the affected entrance may be longer, and some visitors may be directed to an alternative search point to facilitate speedier entry.