6. To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what measures it takes, especially during inclement weather, to ensure that the garden lobby floor is as safe as is possible for staff and visitors. (S5O-00731)

To make the garden lobby as safe as possible, we have barrier mats at all the entrances to the Parliament, and we will increase the number of mats from October through to April when more inclement weather is likely. The mats, which are designed to help prevent dirt and moisture from being walked into the building, are removed every two weeks for laundering and are immediately replaced. In addition, when there is heavy rain, the janitorial team do more regular checks of the garden lobby.

In order to prevent any build-up of grit or dust, the garden lobby floor is cleaned on a nightly basis. That happens between 1 am and 2 am to ensure that the area is completely dry before the building opens. Janitorial staff also respond immediately to any reported spillages anywhere in the building.

The member might be aware that during the day of the Doris—by which I mean the day when we had the bad weather caused by the storm—my secretary found herself a victim when she fell coming through the garden lobby. Could risk assessments be carried out and signage thought about? I am sure that that was not the first time that such an incident has happened, but I want to highlight for the record the support that my secretary received from the janitorial staff and the security staff, who dealt with first aid and took her to accident and emergency. That proves that, when such situations arise, people are able to support the individuals in question.

Obviously I am very sorry to hear that a member of Mr Stewart’s staff had a fall, and I am sure that we all wish her a very quick recovery.

Of course we keep our procedures under review. Mr Stewart has already given us a couple of very good ideas, which I will pass to officials, but we also encourage staff and members to ensure that, if there are any spillages or problems in the garden lobby, the facilities management helpline is used and those staff told immediately so that they can take action. Again, I ask the member to pass on our regards to his staff member.

I thank Alexander Stewart for asking the question, because it is not just a matter of the floor being wet. There are surfaces in the building that are always slippy, particularly for women who wear court shoes, and there have been a few near misses and falls. What assessment has been made of the general floor areas not just when they are wet but with regard to the shoes that people wear?

The member makes a useful point. There are different surfaces in the Parliament, and more slip accidents appear to have been reported in respect of the Kemnay granite surface than other floor surfaces. Obviously, we take slip accidents seriously. I should say that I am not responsible for the member’s footwear, but we are looking very carefully at ensuring that there are no slips, because as employers we have a duty of care to ensure that our environment is safe.