Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what arrangements for IT training have been made for Members of the House in the last three years; and how that training is accessed.

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.

Previously Parliamentary ICT, and now the Digital Service, has provided IT training and coaching for Members. Training is provided on request and can be accessed via the Support Desk, Drop-in Centre, Digital Support Online and Head of Member Services. More specifically, to enhance the service for Members, since October 2015 the Digital Service has employed an IT coach with a primary focus on House of Lords Members.

Over the course of the last year, the Digital Service received and acted upon 92 requests for training from House of Lords Members.

Since the Digital Service was created, it has recruited 13 User Engagement Officers and Leads, and appointed a third party training contract, to ensure sufficient end-user training and coaching is offered and available for the rollout of new and updated member services, including Microsoft Office 365 and Skype for Business. The Digital Service is also planning on recruiting additional staff to strengthen the facilitation and delivery of IT coaching to customers.