Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Parliamentary Staff Engagement

Thursday 27 February 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Olly Glover thanked the Minister for his answer and highlighted the importance of considering the needs and experiences of the 7000 staff who support 650 Members in the House and 836 in the other place.
  • Dame Meg Hillier inquired about ensuring health and safety for staff, noting that proposed options have different health and safety implications.
  • The Minister assured that the proposals will include details on costs, timescales, risks, and benefits, with health and safety being a priority.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Olly Glover Lib Dem Didcot and Wantage
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The restoration and renewal programme has been engaging extensively with staff, including over 420 workshops and briefings in the past two years. There are concerns about ensuring that all needs are heard.

Question

I thank the hon. Member for his answer. As he says, there are 7,000 staff working here who support 650 Members of this House and 836 in the other place. As he recognises, it is essential that the needs, wisdom and experience of the people who make the estate a success are heard and fully considered. Will he commit to continuing to run that full consultation and maximising efforts to do so in a way that will ensure the strongest attendance and the best engagement?

Answer from Nick Smith

The hon. Member makes an important point: the whole Westminster village needs to be engaged in this important topic, which affects all of our workplace.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to continuing full consultation and maximising engagement efforts

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Q2 Meg Hillier Labour (Co-op) Hackney South and Shoreditch
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

There are three proposed options with different health and safety implications. The House is expected to vote on these options, but there are concerns about clear presentation of safety information.

Question

The best way that we can support staff in this building is to ensure that their health and safety is paramount. The three options that are being proposed have radically different health and safety implications. When those options come to the House, will my hon. Friend ensure that the health and safety information is categorically laid out, and can he confirm when the House will vote on those options?

Answer from Nick Smith

Our timetable says that we remain on track to bring the proposals forward by the end of 2025. Those proposals will detail costs, timescales, risks and benefits, and of course my hon. Friend’s point about safety will be foremost in our minds.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Categorical presentation of health and safety information

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