§ 3.20 p.m.
§ The LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL (Lord Soames)My Lords, in my Statement last Tuesday about the state of the ceiling of the Parliament Chamber, I said that the Property Services Agency hoped to have any defects made good in time to have the Parliament Chamber back in use for next Monday's sitting. The ceiling has since been inspected by a number of experts, including timber specialists from the Building Research Establishment. I regret to have to inform your Lordships that their interim report is to the effect that the problem is more extensive than first appeared, in that much of the ornamental woodwork in the ceiling is in a weakened condition. It has, apparently, become very dried out and brittle. The PSA have therefore had to conclude that, subject to further study, a major works programme to make good and restore the ceiling may well be necessary before it can be considered as safe and sound. This work could clearly take some time and must, of course, first be carefully planned.
The PSA, understandably, now advise that the Parliament Chamber cannot, in these circumstances, be brought back into use in the near future; and that the House should continue to sit in the Royal Gallery until the Recess. I think that the House will agree that we must, in the interests of safety, accept this expert advice. The PSA are of course now working hard to complete their investigations and to make proposals—with a view, hopefully, to getting the Chamber back in use by the time the House reassembles after the Summer Recess. I believe, however, that the House would want this whole matter to be very carefully considered, in the first instance, by your Lordships' Administration Committee. Arrangements are therefore being made for the committee to receive and consider a report by the PSA at a meeting which will take place next Wednesday.
§ Lord PEARTMy Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for his Statement. I think that he is right. 'We must accept the advice of the Property Services Agency. They have to do the job and 515 we must rely upon their expert advice. I think, as do many other noble Lords, that once one thing has fallen down two or three more may do so, which would be disastrous. So we must accept this advice.
I am sure noble Lords will agree, certainly in principle, that what we ought to do is to try to improve the acoustics in the Royal Gallery. I know that our press colleagues are having great difficulty, and I hope that the noble Lord will look into this problem. Some members of the press have made representations about the acoustics. Hansard may well be in the same position. If the acoustics could be improved, I think that the House would be able to proceed efficiently.
§ Lord BYERSMy Lords, I should like to support what the noble Lord, Lord Peart, has just said. Despite the efforts of the staff, the conditions under which we are now operating are not conducive to efficiency for more than a few days. I wonder whether the noble Lord could initiate the improvement of conditions until we are in recess by having more loudspeakers and more microphones, and also by raising the Benches, if that is possible, so that we may operate in more normal conditions. May I also ask the noble Lord—I say this quite seriously because in this Chamber we are subjected to new strains—when this ceiling was last inspected?
§ Lord SOAMESMy Lords, I think that it is agreed by everybody that the main problem is the acoustics, but it will not be possible, because it would be so costly, to put into this Chamber on a temporary basis the sophisticated microphone arrangements that there are in our own Chamber. Everything that can be done will be done to improve the existing microphone system. More work will be done over the weekend. However, it is bound to be of a temporary nature.
I would again stress to your Lordships that the difficulties can be minimised by your Lordships taking the trouble to speak clearly. We have been spoiled by the acoustics in the Chamber. We can speak there as quickly or as slowly as we want and everything is well heard. Particular pains will have to be taken while we are in this temporary accommodation 516 to get near to a microphone and to speak as slowly as is thought to be convenient. Some of this does depend upon ourselves and how we handle it. Having said that, your Lordships can be assured that everything possible will be done to improve the acoustics.
As to the ceilings here, I am told that they have not yet been inspected. Doubtless this will happen after we have moved out! But perhaps there will be no more Government defeats while we are here.
§ Lord DERWENTMy Lords, may I ask my noble Leader whether or not this is the most excellent excuse for starting the Recess earlier?
§ Several noble Lords: Hear, hear!