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Administration Select Committee

Answer

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what restrictions there are on the number of overseas staff an hon. Member can have photo passes for; when these restrictions were imposed; and what plans his Committee has to review them. [114204] Mrs. Roe: The Administration Committee endorses the recommendations of the House of Commons (Services) Committee in its Report "Access to the Precincts of the House" (HC(1987-88)580), approved by the House on 30 January 1989, and which my Committee has no immediate plans to review. The Services Committee recommended that no hon. Member should be entitled to Palace of Westminster photo passes for more than three individual members of their personal staff. The number of passes issued to temporary research assistants from overseas is limited to 150 in any one calendar year, and to 50 at any one time. Hon. Members are permitted to have one temporary overseas student only working form them at a time to ensure that as many hon. Members as possible are able to take advantage of this opportunity. This does not affect the right of hon. Members to employ foreign nationals as secretaries, or as research assistants, on a longer term basis.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

346 c14W; 114204

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Proof of identity Migrant workers Research assistants Members' staff

Contains statistics

Yes