§ 3.17 p.m.
§ The Chairman of Committees (Lord Aberdare)My Lords, I beg to move that the Second Report from the Select Committee be agreed to (HL Paper 32).
There is one item in this report which I am sure will be of particular interest to your Lordships; namely, the second item concerning the new dining facility for the Refreshment Department.
The intention is to open the new area by the beginning of June this year, and in due course a circular will be sent to all noble Lords informing them of the new arrangements. It is intended to call the new room the Barry Room after Sir Charles Barry, the architect of this building. It may be of interest to your Lordships to know that it is located beneath the Princes Chamber and the north end of the Royal Gallery. Access will be through the door to the Peeresses Gallery and in due course from the courtyard through Chancellor's Gate. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Second Report from the Select Committee be agreed to (HL Paper 32).—(The Chairman of Committees.)
§ Following is the report referred to:
§ 1. FACILITIES AT THE HOUSE OF LORDS FOR MEPS
§ The Committee agreed that when United Kingdom Members of the European Parliament sought to gain the limited access to the House of Lords granted to them in 1980, they should do so on production of a recently issued, distinctive Palace of Westminster photo-pass.
§ 2. NEW DINING FACILITY FOR THE REFRESHMENT DEPARTMENT
§ The Committee were informed of the intention to open the new dining area in the Refreshment Department by June 1989 and to issue a circular to Peers in due course informing them of the detailed arrangements for the new area. The Committee agreed that the new dining facility should be named the Barry Room.
§ 3. STAFF OF THE HOUSE
§ A report from the Staff of the House Sub-Committee was made to the Committee who agreed to:
- (a) provision for Nuffield/Leverhulme Travelling Fellowships for Clerks;
- (b) the creation of seven additional posts in the new dining facility for the Refreshment Department;
- (c) the substitution of an Higher Executive Officer post for the present post of Supervisor of Hansard Typists;
- (d) the regrading of the post of Personal Secretary to the Clerk of the Parliaments to Higher Executive Officer;
- (e) a revised daily fee for the Staff Inspector; and
- (f) the payment of a night duty allowance to Hansard word processor operators.
§ 4. LIBRARY
§ A report from the Library Sub-Committee for 1988 was laid before the Committee.
§ 5. COMPUTER DEVELOPMENTS
§ The Committee were informed of computer projects in the House of Lords Public Bill Ofice, the Office of the Official Report (Hansard) and the House of Lords Library.
§ 6. INSURANCE FOR LORDS
§ The Committee approved an increase in the personal accident cover for Lords whilst on Parliamentary duty.
§ 7. PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS
§ The Committee authorised a revised subsistence allowance for Delegates to the Council of Europe and the Western European Union.
§ 8. CONFERENCE
§ The Committee agreed to provision being made in the House of Lords' Vote to meet a share of the cost of the Conference to be held in London in 1990 by the Information Technology Working Party of the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation.
§ 9. DEPARTMENT OF THE GENTLEMAN USHER OF THE BLACK ROD
§ The Committee were informed of the appointment of Air Commodore A. C. Curry, OBE, to the post of Yeoman Usher.
§ 10. INTERNAL AUDIT
§ The Committee agreed that the post of Internal Auditor be extended until October 1989.
§ 11. REVISED SCALES OF PAY AND ALLOWANCES
§ The Committee approved increases in the rates of pay of the Chairman and Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees, and confirmed the application of the following Civil Service Memoranda to staff of the House of Lords:—
- CM/862 Subsistence and Meal Allowances
- CM/863 Revised scales of pay for staff linked to IPCS grades.
§ 12. HANSARD REPORTING STAFF
§ The Committee authorised payment of revised late night allowances to permanent staff, revised attendance fees to temporary reporters and a scale of charges for the supply of agency word processor operators.
§ 13. SUPERANNUATION
§ The Committee were informed of new Additional Voluntary Contribution arrangements introduced for civil servants, and sanctioned the application of a similar scheme for the staff of the House of Lords.
§ The Committee were also notified of the following awards made under the House of Lords Staff Pension Scheme:—
- (a) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. M. M. Attree, Executive Officer, who retired on actuarially reduced early retirement terms on 1st January 1989.
- (b) Pension and lump sum to Brigadier D. M. Stileman OBE, Yeoman Usher, who retired on 16th January 1989
- (c) Pension and lump sum to Mr. J. A. Lamprell-Jarrett, Executive Officer, who retired on 3rd February 1989.
- (d) Revised pension and lump sum to Mr. C. E. Houghton, re-employed Senior Clerical Officer who finally retired on 12th February 1989.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.