§ Sir Gerard VaughanTo ask the Lord President of the Council for how many hon. Members and how many personal staff of hon. Members it is now planned to provide accommodation in the first stage of the new parliamentary building; what change these numbers196W represent from those previously envisaged; how this accommodation will be allocated; and when hon. Members and their staff will be able to move in.
§ Mr. MacGregor1 Parliament street will contain single rooms for 65 Members, together with desk spaces for 75 Members' staff. Further accommodation will become available in the Palace of Westminster, in consequence of staff moving into the new building and of the renovation of rooms in Speaker's Court. 1 Parliament street will be available for occupation in September 1991; the Speaker's Court renovations should be completed in January or February 1992. By early 1992, it is estimated that there will have been net gains across the parliamentary estate of 95 Members' offices and 99 desk spaces for Members' staff. The Services Committee report setting out the original design brief for 1 Parliament street suggested that space was likely to be available within that building for about 60 Members and 100 Members' secretaries. The report continued
These numbers are indicative only. We believe the balance proposed represents the pattern of Members' work as it exists at present, but changes are sure to come about and we do not regard the relative figures mentioned here as in any way sacrosanct.—Select Committee on House of Commons (Services), Third Report of Session 1983–84, The New Building: The Design Brief (HC 571), paragraph 22.On the question of the allocation of offices, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Sir D. Steel) on 9 July 1991 at column 341.