To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reasons the terms, conditions and rates of overtime pay of House of Commons security staff have been altered.

The terms and conditions and rates of overtime pay for House of Commons security staff have not been altered.

Approximately 55% of security staff in the Parliamentary Security Department, are former employees of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and transferred to the House Service on 1 April 2016. Their MPS terms and conditions are honoured under the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE). New recruits are employed on House of Commons terms and conditions which differ in a number of ways including the rates of overtime paid. The overall value of these terms is broadly equivalent to the MPS TUPE terms.

In late 2016, an error was identified in the contracts for a small number of staff employed on House of Commons terms which resulted in overtime being paid at an incorrect rate. Affected staff were informed of the error and given a notice period for a variation to their contracts during which they were paid at the higher rate. Any overtime paid during the relevant period (between date of appointment and date of variation to contract) was paid at the higher rate and not recovered. This issue was also heard at an Employment Tribunal which ruled in favour of the House.

The unions have asked us to consider changes to overtime rates for those staff on House of Commons contracts which we will consider as part of pay negotiations for 2019/20.