Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what risk assessment the Commission has made of the effect on security staff of the House returning on 2 June 2020 without hybrid proceedings; and whether (a) PPE and (b) other equipment has been purchased for those staff to mitigate the risk of covid-19.

The provision of personal protective equipment to protect against coronavirus has been guided by Public Health England. After a review, they have advised that the only work on the estate that requires face masks for protection against the coronavirus is undertaken by the occupational health team.

Aprons and face masks for use by security officers are available for the security team to wear whilst processing a person through search and screening if they wish, but they are not an essential risk control.

The House of Commons has carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment to comply with the government’s guidance on managing the risks of COVID-19 in the workplace. The results have been shared with House staff, hon. Members and other individuals who work on the Parliamentary Estate. The assessment has also been published on the Parliamentary intranet and the UK Parliament internet transparency pages.

Local task-specific risk assessments have been undertaken by individual teams and offices across the House of Commons to facilitate work activities recommencing safely on the estate. Aligned with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance, the significant findings of these risk assessments have been recorded and used to communicate and manage the risks at Parliament.