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House Committee: Fourth Report

rose to move, That the fourth report from the Select Committee (HL Paper 78) be agreed to. The report can be found at http://www.publications. parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldselect/ldhouse/78/78.pdf The noble Lord said: My Lords, I will first introduce the committee's report and then deal with the issue raised by the amendment in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Trefgarne, at the appropriate point. The report makes a recommendation for the restructuring of the senior management in the House of Lords, following the retirement of the current holder of the post of the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, Sir Michael Willcocks, in May 2009. The Clerk of the Parliaments has reviewed the responsibilities of Black Rod's post and found that a very significant increase in Black Rod's responsibilities has taken place in recent years, due largely to heightened security needs, the acquisition of additional buildings on the parliamentary estate and the increasingly demanding works programme. The management of the works and estates has become a major and vital responsibility, which requires its own professional expertise. In response to this, the House Committee has recommended that the senior management team should be strengthened with a new post of Director of Facilities, reporting directly to the Clerk of the Parliaments. The new director would have responsibility for works, accommodation, facilities and certain services. The post-holder would be responsible for the largest single element of the House of Lords budget. It is therefore appropriate that the new post-holder be a member of the Management Board. I will enlarge on that point in the light of the amendment tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Trefgarne. It is important not to underestimate the significance of the role which the new Director of Facilities will perform. The committee takes the view that there is now a real need for the House to acquire the type of professional expertise proposed here. Works and estates have taken on tremendous importance in recent years, especially due to the pressure on accommodation. I need not tell your Lordships that the House is much busier than it once was. Average daily attendance has shot up; overall activity levels are at an unprecedented high; and with that the demand for office space and meeting rooms has risen dramatically. The House administration has responded to those challenges by investing in the Millbank island site. Plans are well developed to refurbish 1 Millbank to become the location of choice for Back-Bench Members. The Millbank island site is a tremendous undertaking with many far-reaching effects on the arrangements for the accommodation of Members and staff. The scope of that project alone justifies the recruitment of a Director of Facilities. However, there are other long-term projects for this estate. The House is about to begin substantial work on the mechanical and electrical services of the palace and major repairs to its roofs. I do not anticipate that the new post-holder will be underemployed once the Millbank site is operational. The Director of Facilities will also undertake supervisory responsibility for the Refreshment Department. At present, that responsibility rests with the Director of Human Resources, to whom the Head of Catering Services reports. The new Director of Facilities will not have day-to-day operational responsibility for the catering facilities; that duty will remain with the Head of Catering Services. The portfolio of the Director of Facilities will be of such significance to the House and to the public purse that it is imperative that the post-holder reports directly to the Clerk of the Parliaments. The individual appointed to the post is also likely to be of a grade that will make it necessary for him or her to report to the Clerk of the Parliaments. The Clerk of the Parliaments, who as head of the administration is responsible for determining the membership of the Management Board, has advised that the significance of the new role will be so great as to require the new director to be a member of the Management Board. I turn to the other side of the coin and explain how the new arrangements will affect the holder of the post of Black Rod. The appointment of a Director of Facilities will enable the holder of the post of Black Rod to focus on the more traditional aspects of the role as Gentleman Usher, Secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain and Serjeant at Arms. Those roles carry responsibility for such vital duties as security, order in the House, the Doorkeepers, ceremonial duties and events, public access and the Sovereign’s residual estate at Westminster. We will therefore look to the new post-holder to have all the experience and expertise that have traditionally been required of that post. Black Rod would continue to report directly to the Clerk of the Parliaments and would be a member of the Management Board. Black Rod’s role would continue to be largely similar to that of many of the previous holders of the post of Black Rod. Works and estates is a relatively recent addition to the portfolio of Black Rod’s responsibilities, which arose in 1991 when both Houses took over responsibility for works and estates following the Ibbs review. We are in large measure reverting to a previous pattern. Buckingham Palace has been consulted on the proposed changes and is content. I can therefore assure the House that there is no diminution of the importance of Black Rod’s traditional role. It is a recognised imperative that Black Rod and the Director of Facilities would work closely together and be easily and readily accessible and responsive to Members. The House Committee has emphasised the importance of the continued provision of efficient services to Members under the new arrangements. Indeed, I emphasise that Members’ needs are at the forefront of the proposals for restructure. A working group of officials has been established to consider the detailed arrangements of the division of responsibilities, and the House Committee will consider its recommendations in due course. I pay tribute to the work of our current Black Rod, Sir Michael Willcocks, and am pleased to say that his appointment will be extended for a further year to May 2009 so that he can assist in the introduction of this important change. The House is invited to agree the recommendations set out in paragraph 6 of the report. I beg to move. Moved, That the fourth report from the Select Committee (HL Paper 78) be agreed to.—(The Chairman of Committees.)