HL Deb 31 July 1986 vol 479 cc990-2

11.38 a.m.

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Aberdare)

My Lords, I beg to move that the Third Report from the Select Committee on House of Lords Offices be agreed to.

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

The Report was as follows:

1. Refreshment Department

The Committee approved a statement of Accounts for the financial year 1985/86.

2. Staff of the House

The Committee authorised revised scales of pay for Refreshment Department managerial staff. Doorkeepers and Attendants.

The Committee also agreed that allowances payable to Hansard Editors and Reporters and to Doorkeepers for late night attendance should be included as part of their pensionable emoluments.

3. Parliament Office

The Committee were informed that Mr. R. H. Walters had replaced Mr. D. R. Beamish as Secretary to the Leader of the House and Government Chief Whip.

4. Revised Scales of Pay

The Committee confirmed the application to staff of the House of Lords of the following Civil Service memoranda:—

CM/743—Restructuring of secretarial grades

CM/744—Revised scales of pay for messengerial and cleaning grades

CM/747—Revised scales of pay for Librarian and Catering Managerial grades

CM/748—Revised rates of pay for other grades up to the rank of Chief Clerk

CM/749—Revised rates of pay for grades above the rank of Chief Clerk

CM/752—Unified grading for Library and Record Office staff

CM/753—Proficiency Payments

CM/754—Responsibility Allowances

GM/377—Revised fees for academic consultants.

5. Hansard Reporting Staff

The Clerk of the Parliaments informed the Committee of the impending retirement of Mr. W. Frensham, from the post of Deputy Editor, and the appointment of Mr G. R. Goodbarne in his place.

The Committee authorised a revision in the scale of fees and allowances for late night attendance and sanctioned additional payments to reporters for long hours on days when the House sits before noon.

6. Doorkeepers

The Committee authorised provision for the employment of an additional temporary Doorkeeper during prolonged absences of permanent staff.

7. Library

The Committee authorised the casual employment of Library students for a limited period.

8. Society of Clerks

The Committee authorised provision for a share of the expenses of the meeting of the Society to be held at Westminster in September 1986.

9. House of Lords' Fees

The Committee approved a revision in the scale of charges for photocopying.

10. Superannuation

The Committee were notified of the following awards made under the House of Lords Staff Pension Scheme.

  1. (a)Pension and lump sum to Mr. A. A. Barber, Second Principal Doorkeeper, who retired on 1lth April 1986.
  2. (b)Pension and lump sum to Mr. A. W. K. Chittil, Senior Doorkeeper, who formally retired on 3rd July 1986.
  3. (c)Pension and lump sum to Mr. C. E. Houghton. Executive Officer, who formally retired on 7th July 1986.
  4. (d)Pension and lump sum to Mr. M. T. Nevin. Attendant, who retired on 10th April 1986.
  5. (e)Short service payment to Miss C. M. Kay, Clerk, who resigned on 9th July 1986.
  6. (f)Short service payment to Mrs. L. Cowan, Cleaner, who resigned on 25th April 1986.
  7. (g)Widow's pension and lump sum benefit to Mrs. E. F. Sleeper. valid nominee of H. G. Sleeper, former Cellarman, who died on 23rd April 1986.
  8. (h)Supplementary death benefit to I. A. Farmer, administrator of estate of Mrs. E. Farmer, former Cleaner, who died on 25th December 1985.

Lord Bottomley

My Lords, may I, under paragraph 8 of the Select Committee Report and by leave of your Lordships' House, draw attention to the 75th anniver-sary of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and ask your Lordships to take note that the membership today is 110 different Parliaments and legislatures? The 32nd annual conference of the CPA is being held in the United Kingdom this year and is being opened by Her Majesty the Queen in September. I am sure it is your Lordships' wish to express a welcome to the 300 representatives who will be coming from Commonwealth countries.

Baroness Vickers

My Lords, may I support the noble Lord in his observation, as a member of the CPA conference for many years and as a delegate. It has been very successful in creating understanding between 103 different countries which will be attending this coming conference. I should like to say that we hear mostly from Back-Benchers. It gives them one opportunity to express themselves to each other and to communicate. I hope that this conference will be known, as many of them are, as a friendly conference.

The Chairman of Committees

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Bottomley, on finding a very insignificant sentence in the House of Lords Offices Report in order to draw attention to the annual conference of the CPA. I am sure that the whole House will join with him and with the noble Baroness, Lady Vickers, in wishing the CPA a very successful conference in September.

On Question, Motion agreed to.

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