§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment for how long the Exclusive Cleaning and Maintenance Company has had a contract for cleaning the Palace of Westminster; how often the contract is subject to renewal; how many people it employs in the Palace; and whether it is responsible for cleaning in all parts of the Palace.
§ Sir George YoungThe company has had a contract for cleaning parts of the Palace of Westminster and other parliamentary buildings since 19 January 1979. The original contract, for three years, was extended to 8 October 1982 to cover a rationalisation of the work. The current contract expires in October 1985, and competitive tenders for a new three-year contract will be invited shortly. The company is only responsible for cleaning those public parts of the buildings which are not cleaned by staff of the House of Lords, House of Commons or the Property Services Agency. The number of staff employed to fulfil the terms of the contract is a matter for the company.