§ Mr. Fairbairnasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what internal redecoration and furnishings were done to the Palace of Westminster during the Summer Reccess; and at what cost, item by item.
403W
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe following work was carried out:
Redecoration £ Library Room "B", House of Commons 3,750 Black Rod's Staircase 1,100 Serjeant-at-Arm's Staircase Staircase at Peers lift Chancellors Gate Centre Curtain 600 Corridor Ground floor and second floor corridors 600 House of Lords West Front Cholmondeley Room 550 Division Lobbies 3,750 Serjeant-at-Arms offices 850 North Curtain corridor and Library Search area 850 Leader of the Oppositions offices 700 Press Buffet Bar 500 Wine and Food cellars and staff canteen 1,500 Room No. 29 Principal Floor House of Lords 120 Police Mess rooms, St. Stephens and Chancellors Gate 950 Members Families Rest Room 600 16 Rooms, Committee Corridor 6,000 Ceilings in the Whips Offices 400 Reviving oakwork in Chess Room 300 £23,120 Furnishing Ways and Means Corridor, Carpet and underlay 1,467 Members Post Office, Carpet and underlay 315 Room 24, Carpet and under lay 344 Room 25, Carpet and under lay 344 Room 26, Carpet and under lay 344 Whips Office, Carpet and underlay 262 Librarians Office, Carpet and underlay 262 Lords Chamber, Throne, Carpet and underlay 884 Commons Chamber, Carpet and underlay 1,475 Strangers Gallery, Carpet and underlay 689 Room 6, Furniture and clock 1,330 Doorkeepers Room, Furnishings 1,650 Police Mess Rooms, Furnishings 1,124 Peers Bar, Roller Blinds 112 Total £10,602
§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the annual 404W cost of heating the Palace of Westminster and outhouses; and how much money would be saved annually by a 5 per cent. cut in temperature.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe annual cost of heating the Palace of Westminster and outbuildings, excluding Norman Shaw North, is about £85,000. Heating for Norman Shaw North is supplied by the Whitehall heating mains system and no separate costs are available. A theoretical reduction in temperature of 5 per cent. would result in an annual saving of about £3,500. In practice this would not be possible since the existing steam heating system serving the majority of the Palace of Westminster does not permit the regulation of temperature. Radiators cannot be regulated; only turned either full on or off. The small air-conditioned areas can be controlled. Consideration is currently being given to the question of modernising the distribution system.