House of Lords Offices: Select Committee Report (Hansard, 29 March 1990)

§ The Chairman of Committees (Lord Aberdare)
My Lords, I beg to move that the 2nd Report from the Select Committee on House of Lords Offices be agreed to.
Perhaps I may say a brief word in explanation of the first item on the report. It arises from the Employment Bill now before another place in which the provisions of Clauses 1 to 3 are specifically applied to the House of Commons but not to this House. These clauses make it unlawful to refuse a person employment on grounds of membership or non-membership of a trade union. The Offices Committee recommends that these clauses should also be applied to this House by amendment when the Bill reaches us.
There is other employment legislation in existence which has hitherto been applied to this House by analogy rather than in legislation. The Committee further recommend that we should ask the Department of Employment to find a suitable opportunity to apply these provisions also directly to this House to bring it in line with another place. I beg to move.
Moved, That the 2nd report from the Select Committee be agreed to (HL Paper 43).— (The Chairman of Committees.) Following is the report referred to: 1. Application of Employment Legislation to the House of Lords The Committee accepted recommendations from the Staff of the House Sub-Committee that amendments should be tabled to the Employment Bill now before the House of Commons so as to apply it directly to the House of Lords in the same way as it applies to the House of Commons; and that the Department of Employment should be asked to use the next convenient opportunity to include in an Employment Bill provisions applying to the House of Lords those aspects of employment legislation which at present apply directly to the House of Commons but not to the House of Lords. 2. Reports from the Finance Sub-Committee The Committee were informed that the Finance Sub-Committee had agreed that in future their reports would be circulated in advance to the Offices Committee. 3. Staff of the House A report from the Staff of the House Sub-Committee was made. The Committee agreed:—

(a) that the temporary additional post of Assistant Editor in Hansard should be made permanent from 24th March 1990; and
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(b) that the temporary part-time Architectural Archivist post in the Record Office should be extended for a further period of five years to March 1995.
The Committee also agreed to:

(c) the creation of a post of House of Lords Computer Executive at Grade 7 level, initially for a period of 5 years;

(d) the replacement of a Clerical Officer post in the Library by an Assistant Librarian post;

(e) the upgrading of the post of Chef from 94 per cent. of Catering Manager 2 to full Catering Manager 2 with effect from 1st March 1990;

(f) the regrading, with effect from 15th January 1990, of the Second Chef post in the Barry Room to 90 per cent. of Catering Manager 4; the creation of a post in the main kitchen of Second Chef at 90 per cent. of Catering Manager 4; the deletion of a post in the main kitchen at Industrial Band 16 and the deletion of a post in the main kitchen at Industrial Band 10, and

(g) the payment of a higher rate skill supplement to five Hansard Typists and five Hansard Screen Correctors in place of the existing lower rate skill supplement with effect from 1st January 1990.

In addition, the Committee gave discretion to the Clerk of the Parliaments to appoint an additional Clerk, should the need arise. 4. Parliament Office The Committee were informed of the promotion of Mr. E. J. J. Wells to Senior Clerk. 5. Insurance for Lords The Committee approved an increase in personal accident cover for Lords whilst engaged on Parliamentary duty. 6. 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:—

(a) DEO letter dated 2nd February 1990. (Remuneration of college based sandwich course students.)

(b) DEO letter dated 14th February 1990. (Special pay points for Grades 4 to 7.)

(c) DEO letter dated 1st March 1990. (Management delegation.).
7. Hansard Reporting Staff The Committee authorised payment of revised late night allowances to permanent staff and revised attendance fees to temporary reporters. 8. Superannuation The Committee were notified of the following awards made under the House of Lords Staff Pension Scheme:—

(a) Revised pension and lump sum to Mr. G. A. Preston, Assistant Counsel, who retired on 1st October 1989.

(b) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. E. Blackburn, Cleaner, who retired on 21st October 1989.

(c) Pension and lump sum to Mr. L. A. Ketcher, MBE, Senior Executive Officer, who retired on 1st January 1990.

(d) Pension and lump sum to Mrs. C. O'Brien, Head Linen Keeper, who retired on 16th January 1990.

(e) Transfer value payment to the London Residuary Body Superannuation Fund in respect of Mr. D. R. Pester, Assistant Librarian, who resigned on 16th June 1989.

(f) Transfer value payment to the Devonport Royal Dockyard Pension Scheme in respect of Mrs. L. E. Rivers, who resigned on 31st July 1986.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, although it is not mentioned in paragraph 5 of the report, will my noble friend confirm that the Offices Committee requested that investigation be made into extending the cover for Members of your Lordships' House on parliamentary duties to cover their journeys to and 975 from this House? In view of the number of late sittings which your Lordships are suffering, that is perhaps becoming increasingly important.

§ Lord Aberdare
Yes, my Lords, I can confirm that that is so. It will be considered at the next meeting of the Finance Sub-Committee.