Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what consideration he has given to commissioning a review by independent consultants to determine whether the microphones and audio systems in the House of Lords are of a satisfactory standard.

A project led by an independent consultant is currently underway to upgrade the sound systems in both Houses. The suspended microphones in the Lords Chamber were replaced in 2017 and are professional studio quality models. The four main table microphones are to be replaced this summer with similar quality models.

The loudspeakers installed in the backs of all bench seating were replaced last summer with modern models designed for high speech intelligibility. Some deep structural cabling issues with a small number of the speakers are currently being investigated and it is intended that these issues will be resolved over the summer recess.