§ 3.8 p.m.
§ The Chairman of Committees (Lord Ampthill)My Lords, I beg to move that the first report from the Select Committee on House of Lords Offices be agreed to.
Moved, That the first report from the Select Committee be agreed to (HL Paper 3).—(The Chairman of Committees.)
§ Following is the report referred to:
§ 1. Sub-Committee membership
§ The Committee recommends that the rotation rule should not be applied to its sub-committees this session. The Committee has accordingly appointed the following Lords to form the sub-committees—
§ Finance and Staff Sub-Committee
- L. Ampthill (Chairman),
- L. Bancroft,
- L. Cledwyn of Penrhos,
- L. Dainton,
- L. Jenkin of Roding,
- L. Jenkins of Hillhead,
- L. Lane of Horsell,
- B. Nicol,
- L. Peston,
- L. Thomson of Monifieth,
- L. Wakeman (L. Privy Seal),
§ Administration and Works Sub-Committee
- L. Ampthill (Chairman),
- L. Allen of Abbeydale,
- L. Dainton,
- L. Dean of Beswick,
- L. Gibson,
- L. Graham of Edmonton,
- L. Hesketh,
- B. Hylton-Foster,
- L. Peston,
- B. Seccombe,
- L. Tordoff
§ Library and Computers Sub-Committee
- L. Bonham-Carter,
- B. Brigstocke,
- L. Browne-Wilkinson,
- L. Dainton (Chairman),
- L. Flowers,
- L. McColl of Dulwich,
- L. McIntosh of Haringey,
- L. Morris of Castle Morris,
- V. St Davids,
- L. Walton of Detchant,
§ Refreshment Sub-Committee
- L. Colnbrook,
- B. David,
- L. Denham,
- L. Graham of Edmonton,
- B. Hamwee,
- L. Hesketh,
- B. Hylton-Foster,
- L. Mason of Barnsley,
- L. Peston (Chairman),
- Ly. Saltoun of Abernethy,
- L. Tordoff
§ 2. Accommodation
§ The Committee has considered the report of the Group on Accommodation established in July 1991 to "consider the accommodation needs of the House of Lords as a whole and, in particular, to make recommendations for the use of No. 7 Millbank, and for provision of Counsel's Dining Room". The Committee is grateful to Lord Tordoff and the members of the Group for their valuable work.
§ The Committee recommends that Black Rod be authorised to initiate work on the third floor of No. 7 Millbank so that it is ready for occupation after the summer recess, in the first instance to provide accommodation for—
§ —peers, their secretaries and research assistants
§ —the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), assuming that it is officially established and that it would be cost effective to locate it in parliamentary accommodation
§ —the staff required for the new parliamentary computer network
§ —a secretarial agency.
§ We recommend that the question of who should in the longer term occupy No. 7 Millbank be the subject of further study and discussion and that the occupancy of 6–7 Old Palace Yard be raised with the House of Commons.
1105§ We have considered the accommodation for the Lords of Appeal. This will be examined further in the context of a longer-term review of the accommodation needs of the House in which all those with an interest will be consulted.
§ We have remitted the other matters raised in the Group's report to the Administration and Works Sub-committee which will meet at an early date to consider the report and make recommendations.
§ Baroness PhillipsMy Lords, I hope I may ask that it should be compulsory for all Members of the Refreshment Sub-Committee to eat in the dining room at least one day a week.
§ Lord AmpthillMy Lords, the noble Baroness has obviously struck a chord with certain Members of the House. However, I do not think her comment has much to do with the Motion that I have just moved.
On Question, Motion agreed to.