HL Deb 21 December 1976 vol 378 cc1185-9

2.56 p.m.

Lord ABERDARE rose to move that the First Report from the Select Committee be agreed to.

The Committee's Report was as follow:

1. APPOINTMENT OF SUB-COMMITTEES

The following members of the Committee were appointed to the Sub-Committees: —

(a) Administration Committee

With the Clerk of the Parliaments and the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod.

With power to co-opt further Lords.

(b) Library Sub-Committee

With the Clerk of the Parliaments.

With power to co-opt further Lords and to appoint their own Chairman.

(c) Refreshment Sub-Committee

With the Clerk of the Parliaments.

With power to co-opt further Lords and to appoint their own Chairman.

(d) Parliament Office Sub-Committee

With the Clerk of the Parliaments.

With power to co-opt further Lords.

(e) Finance Committee

With the Clerk of the Parliaments.

With power to co-opt further Lords.

(f) Works of Art Sub-Committee

With the Clerk of the Parliaments.

With power to co-opt further Lords and to appoint their own Chairman.

2. PARLIAMENTARY PRINTING

The Committee approved a Report from the Administration Sub-Committee recommending that H. M. Stationery Office be authorised to print the Official Report (Hansard), the Minutes of Proceedings and the Order Paper of the House on A4 size paper.

3. PARLIAMENT OFFICE

The Clerk of the Parliaments informed the Committee of the appointment of Mr. Francis Michael Alexander Hawkings as Clerk and of the promotion of Mr. M. G. Pownall to Senior Clerk. The Committee authorised provision for additional temporary clerical assistance during prolonged absences of permanent staff.

4. LIBRARY

The Chairman of the Library Sub-Committee informed the Committee of the impending retirement of the Librarian.

The Committee agreed to the creation of a new post of Library Clerk and authorised the rate of pay for the post.

5. HANSARD REPORTING STAFF

The Committee authorisd the payment of increased fees to Palantype Organisation Limited for the supply of transcribers.

6. LATE NIGHT TRANSPORT

The Committee reconsidered the arrangements made for the transport of members of the staff when the House sits late after public transport has ceased and agreed to an extension of the facilities to all essential staff. They agreed that a limit should be imposed on the distance travelled, subject to the Clerk of the Parliaments' discretion in certain cases.

7. SOCIETY OF CLERKS-AT-THE-TABLE IN COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTS

The Committee approved an increase in the annual contribution towards the expenses of the Society.

8. REVISED SCALES OF PAY AND ALLOWANCES

The Committee confirmed the application of Civil Service Code Memorandum CM/183 dated 13th August 1976 introducing revised rates of meal allowances payable to applicable staff of the House of Lords.

9. UNIFORM ALLOWANCES

The Committee authorised: —

  1. (a)an increase in the allowance to Clerks appointed to the Table and to the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod; and
  2. (b) an increase in the allowances payable to Doorkeepers for the purchase and maintenance of dress clothes.

10. HOUSE OF LORDS FEES

The Committee accepted a recommendation by the Clerk of the Parliaments that in future general authority to charge fees and to fix the amount of Security required of Appellants should be embodied in appropriate Standing Orders while the actual amounts and alterations thereto be authorised by agreement of the House to recommendations contained in Reports from the House of Lords' Offices Committee.

11. SUPERANNUATION

The Committee sanctioned the payment of the following superannuation awards: —

  1. (i) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. J. E. Barnes, Housemaid, who retired on 7th November 1976.
  2. (ii) Short service gratuity to Mr. T. D. Rooks, Attendant, who retired on 1st October 1976.
  3. (iii) Short service gratuity to Mrs. V. Crooks, Housemaid, who retired on 19th September 1976.
  4. (iv) Short service gratuity to Mrs. P. Rhodes, Reporter, who resigns on 31st December 1976.
  5. (v) Transfer value payment to Metropolitan Police Office in respect of Mrs. V. E. Hunt, Housemaid, who retired on 29th May 1976.
  6. (vi)Pension and lump sum to Mr. C. D. Maxted, M. M., Doorkeeper, who formally retired on 5th October 1976.
  7. (vii) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. J. H. le Baron Whyte, M. B. E., Reporter, who formally retired on 5th December 1976.
  8. (viii) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. R. White, Housemaid, who formally retired on 1st December 1976.
  9. (ix) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. C. Sampson, Housemaid, who formally retired on 1st December 1976.
  10. (x) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. E. E. Rudd, Housemaid, who formally retired on 1st December 1976.
  1. (xi) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. M. A. Price, Housemaid, who formally retired on 1st December 1976.
  2. (xii) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. C. D. Nicholson, Housemaid, who formally retired on 1st December 1976.
  3. (xiii) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. M. McEvoy, Housemaid, who formally retired on 1st December 1976.
  4. Pension and lump sum to Mrs. L. Hall, Housemaid, who formally retired on 1st December 1976.
  5. (xv) Short service payment to Mrs. R. Russell, Housemaid, who formally retired on 1st December 1976.

Lord ABERDARE

In moving this Motion, may I draw your Lordships' attention to Item 2, a small paragraph entitled "Parliamentary Printing". It entails a change in the format of Hansard. This will not take place immediately, but in 1978–79. However, a decision has to be made now and your Lordships should know about it.

Neither of the Committees which have considered the matter, the Administration Sub-Committee and the Offices Committee, were entirely happy at the change because the new format is a very much larger document than the one to which your Lordships have become accustomed. But we were convinced in the end by the need—which is undoubtedly pressing—to replace the present printing plant, and the strong technical and financial reasons for changing the size and adopting in the future a standard size known as "A4".

The change will mean a speed-up in the production of Hansard; it will mean greater flexibility in the use of the printing machines and a considerable financial saving, both in capital cost and annual running costs. This format has been agreed by the Services Committee in another place, and I am sure that, in the circumstances, we should go along with them. I beg to move.

Moved, that the First Report from the Select Committee be agreed to. —(Lord Aberdare.)

Lord ELTON

My Lords, for the information of the House, will the noble Lord tell us whether the print size in Hansard will remain the same? A number of your Lordships would find it difficult if it were further reduced.

Lord ABERDARE

My Lords, this point was discussed in both Committees and we are not yet content with the print size. It will not be reduced and we have not yet had to agree to what the print size will be. All we have had to agree to, so that the orders for printing presses and so forth can go ahead, is the actual size of the paper. But the question of the size of the print, and its clarity, is very much in our minds. I am not asking your Lordships to make any decision on that at present.

Lord HAILSHAM of SAINT MARYLEBONE

My Lords, I do not want to detain the House, but could the noble Lord tell us how this new Hansard format will fit into the shelves for the bound volumes?

Lord ABERDARE

My Lords, it has been considered by all the relevant Committees. There will be changes in the size of the volume, but I understand that this will not present a problem.

On Question, Motion agreed to.