HC Deb 07 June 1990 vol 173 cc685-6W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the panelling and shelving adjacent to the Members' and Strangers' Dining Rooms were last cleaned; who supervised such cleaning; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Chope

The cleaning contract requires panelling and shelving up to a height of 5.5 ft to be dusted daily. Direct responsibility for supervising the work rests with the contractor; the Serjeant at Arms or the Refreshment Department are responsible for checking that the work has been done.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the interior of the Palace of Westminster was last thoroughly cleaned; what inspection was made of that cleaning; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Chope

My Department is responsible for cleaning only parts of the Palace—generally public areas and meeting rooms. The work is carried out at the frequency set out in the contract specification. Cleaning of floors and dusting for example is a daily task.

Inspection of the work is the responsibility of the Serjeant at Arms, or Refreshment Department, who bring any shortcomings to the attention of the Parliamentary Works Office's office keeper.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take to ensure a thorough cleaning programme is implemented and supervised in the Palace of Westminster; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Chope

Subject to agreement of the details with the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee, the Parliamentary Works Office will shortly commission a review of the cleaning arrangements. It will look at options for setting up a coherent management structure, to replace the existing fragmented arrangements, and at the means of ensuring a consistently high standard of cleaning throughout the Palace.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the arrangements which he has now made to ensure that the Members' Tea Room is properly cleaned.

Mr. Chope

The discussions that I mentioned in response to the hon. Member's earlier question on 10 May,Official Report, column 190, have:

  1. (a) clarified the existing responsibilities of the Refreshment Department's and Parliamentary Works Officer's cleaning contractors,
  2. (b) confirmed that the arrangements cover all the cleaning requirements, and
  3. (c) established new arrangements for reporting any shortcomings in the work.

These arrangements, particularly the use of the two contractors in one room, will be considered further in the proposed review of cleaning arrangements generally within the Palace of Westminster which I referred to in answer to another question by the hon. Member today.