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To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make an estimate of the annual cost of administering Westminster Hall Debates including clerks, doorkeepers and other staff.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make an estimate of the annual cost of administering Westminster Hall Debates including clerks, doorkeepers and other staff.
The total number of annual sitting hours for Westminster Hall debates vary with the last four parliamentary sessions below:
- 2021–22 666 (12-month Session)
- 2022–23 949 (18-month Session)
- 2023–24 415 (6-month Session)
- 2024–26 1,297 (21-month Session)
The estimate below is based on the direct cost of facilitating Westminster Hall during sitting hours. In addition members of staff on duty in Westminster Hall will be on rotas and have other responsibilities which account for the majority of their time. Staffing numbers have been estimated below for a typical sitting week of 16 hours across 39 weeks.
In some cases, there will be additional time required outside of the sittings themselves, for example Senior Doorkeepers need additional time to set up, and it takes Parliamentary reporters approximately 45 minutes to transcribe each five minutes of debate. The broadcast operator and microphone operator costs are covered by the broader broadcasting contract, which make it difficult to give a true cost and these figures are therefore estimates based on known half day rates.
The estimated number of weekly hours from each of the following roles has been listed in the table below. These do not represent individual postholders, but instead the total number of hours that would be completed by several people all on rotas. As an example, there are 22 Clerks on a fortnightly rota, so each individual completes an average slot of only 80 minutes once per fortnight, and this forms only a small part of their substantive role.
Role(s) | Number of weekly hours | Cost across 39 weeks (including on costs) |
A1 Clerk | 16 | £38k |
A2 Committee Sub Editors | 32 | £62k |
B2 Parliamentary Reporters | 144 | £170k |
C Senior Doorkeepers | 38 | £38k |
C Operations Officer | 16 | £16k |
Broadcast Operator | 16 | £58k |
Microphone Operator | 16 | £58k |
Total | 278 | £440k |
On that basis annual staffing costs could be estimated at £440k. Indirect costs, not included above include building costs, printing, security and IT provision.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether funding has been provided by the House of Commons since July 2024 in relation to the security of Hon Members from the Reform UK party.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether funding has been provided by the House of Commons since July 2024 in relation to the security of Hon Members from the Reform UK party.
All MPs are offered security measures at their homes and offices, and security operatives for constituency surgeries.
To ensure the continued security of Members, the Commission does not comment on the take-up of security provisions by individual MPs.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether any Open Source software is used in the House of Commons.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether any Open Source software is used in the House of Commons.
In supporting the work of Parliament, the Parliamentary Digital Service makes extensive use of open source software, and in particular in bespoke procedural systems. Where appropriate and subject to licensing requirements, open source solutions are generally preferred. We also seek to ensure that systems remain portable across hosting platforms and avoid unnecessary dependence on proprietary technologies.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety has any Parliamentary permission, charter or authorisation to use the word Parliamentary in its title.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety has any Parliamentary permission, charter or authorisation to use the word Parliamentary in its title.
We have no records of such authorisation but note that the organisation was incorporated at a time when the law and parliamentary rules about naming organisations were less developed than now.
Although it is a civil matter, where a jury trial cannot apply, yesterday we found out that Virgin Media has been fined a record £28 million for ripping off its customers, yet the chief executive appears to be getting off scot-free. I think that the shareholders should be considering his future and the possibility of bonuses being returned. Does the Solicitor General agree that constituents will be asking who is accountable for such predatory corporate behaviour?
Although it is a civil matter, where a jury trial cannot apply, yesterday we found out that Virgin Media has been fined a record £28 million for ripping off its customers, yet the chief executive appears to be getting off scot-free. I think that the shareholders should be considering his future and the possibility of bonuses being returned. Does the Solicitor General agree that constituents will be asking who is accountable for such predatory corporate behaviour?
My hon. Friend is a great champion for his constituents, and for all those affected by this issue. I share his concerns about accountability. Although the matter does not sit with the Attorney General’s office, I will ensure that his question is passed on to the relevant Minister and he receives a response.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2026 to Question 2110, on All-Party Parliamentary Groups: Finance, whether there is any guidance on how the residual assets of a dissolved APPG may be used.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2026 to Question 2110, on All-Party Parliamentary Groups: Finance, whether there is any guidance on how the residual assets of a dissolved APPG may be used.
Paragraph 8 of Appendix 4 of the Guide to the APPG rules sets out the requirements for APPGs when they are dissolved at a General Election. The Guide to the APPG Rules does not specify how residual assets of a dissolved APPG may be used.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2026 to Question 2110 on All-Party Parliamentary Groups: Finance, whether there is a requirement for the income and expenditure statement of a dissolved APPG to be audited;...
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2026 to Question 2110 on All-Party Parliamentary Groups: Finance, whether there is a requirement for the income and expenditure statement of a dissolved APPG to be audited;...
The House of Commons Commission does not have responsibility for the APPG Rules.
Paragraph 8 of Appendix 4 of the Guide to the APPG Rules sets out the records that a Chair of an APPG must keep after a group has been disbanded. The Guide to the APPG Rules is silent on whether the Chair of a disbanded group is required to share those records.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many areas in the Parliamentary estate where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete has been identified that have yet to be repaired.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many areas in the Parliamentary estate where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete has been identified that have yet to be repaired.
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been identified in locations on the third-floor Upper Committee Corridor North and South, and in the section of T-Block adjacent to the toilets on the first to third floors. Repair solutions are being developed, with the scope of any remedial works to be informed by planned intrusive surveys.
Some Members have already been moved from offices to enable the surveys and asbestos removal works associated with the RAAC programme. Construction work is scheduled to commence in September 2026, subject to the design approval process, with the scope and sequencing of works informed by ongoing surveys and design development. Where works affect Members, the House Service will follow its established engagement processes, including ongoing engagement with the relevant Accommodation Whips.
The initial phase of work is expected to conclude by January 2027 and will inform a second phase, planned to begin later in 2027 and continue into 2028. The second phase will address the remaining affected areas in stages to help minimise disruption.
Based on surveys completed to date, no further RAAC has been identified on the Parliamentary Estate since June 2025.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what evidence was used to inform decisions to potentially reduce roles based in the regions and nations in the Education and Engagement service under the Savings and Improvement Programme.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what evidence was used to inform decisions to potentially reduce roles based in the regions and nations in the Education and Engagement service under the Savings and Improvement Programme.
The Commission has considered the proposed changes to the educational outreach model.
The proposed changes involve the development of a smaller, Westminster-based team, which would operate a UK-wide digital outreach service. Under the current model, in 2025/26 only 9% of Members were involved in a school outreach visit and 32% of constituencies received no outreach visits at all. The new service aims to significantly improve on these figures, with much greater opportunities for Members to join in with digital sessions with their local schools. The total, combined reach of the new service is expected to be the same as or greater than the current service by the third year of its operation.
Evidence of demand for current digital services has been considered, including the “Learn with the Lords” programme, where three quarters of schools request online over in-person experiences to meet a Member of the House of Lords and learn more about their work. This programme reaches every nation and region of the UK every year. The team has also conducted research into organisations who are delivering ambitious and successful digital outreach models including the Royal Ballet and Opera, North East Museums, the National Gallery, BBC Bitesize and The Shakespeare Curriculum. This research has demonstrated the large-scale need from schools for this type of educational offer from UK Parliament.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness and impact of the UK Parliament Education and Engagement service in the nations and regions.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness and impact of the UK Parliament Education and Engagement service in the nations and regions.
Education and Engagement is part of the wider Participation team and shares the strategic aim of the Participation team to reach every part of the UK with its range of public engagement services.
In financial year 2025/26, Education and Engagement’s combined services reached every constituency in some form. In the longer-term, the team aims to increase the scale of services every constituency receives. Part of achieving this aim will include the creation of a digital outreach model, to replace the current regionally-based model. Under the current model, in 2025/26, 32% of constituencies received no outreach visits at all. The new service aims to significantly improve on these figures, with much greater opportunities for Members to join in with digital sessions with their local schools. The total, combined reach of the new service is expected to be the same as or greater than the current service by the third year of its operation.
The Commission has also endorsed a recommendation from the Education and Engagement Team to put in place regional allocations for slots for schools to visit Parliament and the Parliamentary Education Centre, meaning, for the first time, that all UK regions and nations will be given a fair and equitable allocation of opportunities to visit.
In terms of Parliament’s overall engagement work across the UK, a number of different programmes continue to provide opportunities for the public to participate, including UK Parliament Week, teacher training activity delivered around the country, the travel subsidy scheme supporting visits to the Parliamentary Education Centre, Learn with the Lords, and wider outreach undertaken by select committees. Taken together, these channels mean that Parliament will continue to have a strong and visible presence beyond Westminster, even as the Education Outreach service evolves.
Many of us remain frustrated by delays to Royal Mail postal deliveries. My constituent Anthony Barnes was removed from a treatment waiting list on three occasions because hospital communications did not arrive in time. I have encouraged local healthcare providers to use Royal Mail’s NHS-specific barcode, which prioritises delivery for...
Many of us remain frustrated by delays to Royal Mail postal deliveries. My constituent Anthony Barnes was removed from a treatment waiting list on three occasions because hospital communications did not arrive in time. I have encouraged local healthcare providers to use Royal Mail’s NHS-specific barcode, which prioritises delivery for...
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make an assessment of the potential merits of screening the People's Emergency Briefing on the parliamentary estate.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make an assessment of the potential merits of screening the People's Emergency Briefing on the parliamentary estate.
The Commission has no plans to screen the briefing.
I thank the Minister for his statement on this terrible conflict. Will he tell us more about the impact of this tragedy on countries that neighbour Sudan? How can we help them?
I thank the Minister for his statement on this terrible conflict. Will he tell us more about the impact of this tragedy on countries that neighbour Sudan? How can we help them?
I welcome the Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting our veterans and delivering fairness for them. Can we please have a statement from the Veterans Minister on reducing processing times for war pension scheme claims? My constituent Denzil Hancock, an 88-year-old nuclear test veteran, continues to await a decision.
I welcome the Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting our veterans and delivering fairness for them. Can we please have a statement from the Veterans Minister on reducing processing times for war pension scheme claims? My constituent Denzil Hancock, an 88-year-old nuclear test veteran, continues to await a decision.
There is awful news from Venezuela this morning after an earthquake there. Has the Minister had the opportunity to speak to her Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ministerial counterpart about support for that country at this difficult time?
There is awful news from Venezuela this morning after an earthquake there. Has the Minister had the opportunity to speak to her Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ministerial counterpart about support for that country at this difficult time?
The overnight news of the earthquake in Venezuela, which has caused a lot of damage, is very concerning. I know that my colleagues in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stand ready, as do we, to help with any recovery that the people of Venezuela may need, particularly in terms of rescue at this stage.
My constituency has many steel fabrication businesses, some of which I visited recently. Will the Minister please outline how he listened to such businesses and their concerns before this announcement?
My constituency has many steel fabrication businesses, some of which I visited recently. Will the Minister please outline how he listened to such businesses and their concerns before this announcement?
I, too, hope that digital ID will help improve the delivery of public services outcomes. Can the Minister please say what steps the Government are taking to work with the Welsh Government on this important policy development?
I, too, hope that digital ID will help improve the delivery of public services outcomes. Can the Minister please say what steps the Government are taking to work with the Welsh Government on this important policy development?
We are working closely with the devolved Governments through bilateral meetings and regular official engagement, and we are thankful to them for their constructive and ongoing engagement. In recent weeks I have had the pleasure of attending our regions’ devolved authorities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and we are sensitive to their expectations and demands on this Government to deliver effective digital access to public services across their Administrations, but I repeat: digital ID will be free to use, and there will be freedom to choose.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing remote digital voting in the House of Commons.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing remote digital voting in the House of Commons.
Introducing remote digital voting would be a matter for the House itself and not for the Commission. Remote voting was used for a short period during the pandemic but was replaced by a system of proxies and pass reader voting. The hon. Member could raise the matter with the Procedure Committee or the Modernisation Committee.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to ensure the protection of peregrine falcons nesting in the Palace of Westminster.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to ensure the protection of peregrine falcons nesting in the Palace of Westminster.
Parliament complies with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, working through the Schedule 1 licence holder for peregrine falcons in close liaison with Natural England to ensure adherence to legal requirements relating to breeding and disturbance. The licence holder also works with those undertaking building activity across the Parliamentary Estate.
All works have been reviewed by the licence holder and Natural England and, where required, mitigation measures have been implemented to prevent disturbance.
It is good to give my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova) a break.
The Commission has considered the proposed changes to the education outreach model. The changes are designed to save money—over half a million pounds every year— and to ensure that we reach more students across the UK and increase the opportunities that Members have to meet children and young people. Although more than 30 Members have signed an early-day motion on the topic, in 2025-26 no events were held in nearly a third of our constituencies.
Under the proposals, the current model will be replaced by a digital model of outreach to increase opportunities for Members to speak to students. The proposed new service will help to reach schools in every constituency. A final decision on the proposals will be made following the consultation proposal.
It is good to give my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova) a break.
The Commission has considered the proposed changes to the education outreach model. The changes are designed to save money—over half a million pounds every year— and to ensure that we reach more students across the UK and increase the opportunities that Members have to meet children and young people. Although more than 30 Members have signed an early-day motion on the topic, in 2025-26 no events were held in nearly a third of our constituencies.
Under the proposals, the current model will be replaced by a digital model of outreach to increase opportunities for Members to speak to students. The proposed new service will help to reach schools in every constituency. A final decision on the proposals will be made following the consultation proposal.
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has made an assessment of the potential impact of closure of the Education and Engagement Outreach Team on schools.