§ 3.4 p.m.
§ The CHAIRMAN of COMMITTEES (Lord Aberdare)My Lords, I wish to inform the House of certain decisions which have been taken following the consideration of a report about security in the Palace of Westminster made to me and to Mr. Speaker by the informal Joint Committee of both Houses under the chairmanship of the right honourable Member for Wakefield, Mr. Walter Harrison.
The House will recall that Sir James Starritt, formerly Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, made a comprehensive report on security here in 1975, and a number of proposals he then made for improving physical security have since been carried into effect.
He also recommended, however, some major changes in the organisation of security arrangements.
In particular, he recommended the establishment of a combined security force for the whole Palace of Westminster under a single command and the integration of the existing custodian force, at present employed by the Department of the Environment, into the Metropolitan Police organisation.
It was with this aspect of security that the Joint Committee have been concerned, and following their report and consideration by Ministers of the consequential financial arrangements, it is now proposed to go ahead with the implementation of these recommendations. The aim is to set up a combined security force for the whole Palace of Westminster; to raise the operational standards of the officers concerned, particularly by giving to the police responsibility for the recruitment and training of custodians and to 979 improve co-ordination between the security staff within the Palace and the Metropolitan Police generally.
The necessary steps are accordingly now being taken by the Departments concerned, in consultation with the police authorities and the staff directly affected, with a view to the new structure being operational by 1st October.
It has been agreed that expenditure on security within the precincts of the Palace of Westminster should in future be wholly borne on the Votes of the two Houses, and this will involve the transfer of public expenditure at present being borne by the Department of the Environment and the Metropolitan Police. The additional public expenditure involved in these organisational changes will amount to about £100,000 a year. These proposals were agreed to yesterday by the Offices Committee.
I believe that these changes in our security arrangements will be to the advantage of Parliament and the personal safety of Members and staff of both Houses, and I am grateful to the Members of both Houses who served on this Joint Committee, and particularly, to its chairman, Mr. Walter Harrison.