Procedure and Privileges Committee

Earl of Caithness Excerpts

Tuesday 5th July 2022 Lords Chamber

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

My Lords, as I have said, I am not responsible for members of staff— the Clerk of the Parliaments is. I have explained the assurance that I have received from the Clerk of the Parliaments, as indeed did the committee. He is confident that staff would continue to deliver high-quality services, and, although I am absolutely neutral on this matter, if the House does decide on an earlier finish, members of staff also would not have to work late. However, I do not want to have to spend too long on that because it is a sensitive subject.

[The Earl of Caithness (Con)]

My Lords, on that point—

[The Senior Deputy Speaker]

No, I want to make progress. I apologise to my noble friend but I think that the House has chewed over this matter, and we ought to make progress.

On educational visits—as I say, this is what I have agreed in the report—I have a note that says that the director of participation emailed to confirm explicitly that the number of school students able to see the Lords Chamber would fall from 72,380 to 67,760 per annum—a fall of 4,620 per annum, which, as I said in the report, is equivalent to some 116 fewer school visitors each sitting visit. I will pick up what the noble Lord, Lord Scriven, said, but that is the assurance I have received this afternoon following the remarks that have been made. Obviously, I will want to go back to that, but that has been confirmed by the visits team.

The noble Lord, Lord Stoneham, raised the issue of the security search. This was raised with me—