Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether he has any plans to improve the repair and maintenance regime for desktop computers issued to Members of the House.

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

All Digital Service supplied desktop computers for House of Lords Members are covered by a 3 year manufacturer’s warranty for hardware faults and are repaired or replaced accordingly. Beyond the 3 year warranty the Digital Service will repair or replace the equipment if it fails. The Digital Service provides 24 hour support. Digital Service support staff resolve 92% of calls logged within 24 hours. The Digital Service has established a new Live Services team with a new structure for front-line support. This has a focus on continual learning and upskilling and includes more specialist support, which will deliver a number of operational improvements and efficiencies to the support customers receive.

All Digital Service issued IT equipment comes with a lifecycle of 4 years, after which equipment is available for replacement. The replacement and repair policy will be reviewed by the Services Committee during 2017.