House of Commons Commission written question – answered at on 8 May 2024.
Therese Coffey
Conservative, Suffolk Coastal
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2024 to Question 22724 on Parliamentary Estate: Security, if the Commission will publish a breakdown of the (a) 4,132 staff and (b) 4,236 contractors with valid security passes by (i) profession and (ii) Department.
Charles Walker
Chair, Administration Committee, Chair, Administration Committee
It is not possible to breakdown passholder data by profession, but we are able to segregate the data by Department at the time of application. The pass issuing system is not an HR system so the data will never accurately reflect payroll due to the frequency of staff moving between Departments.
It should be noted that not all staff and contractors who hold passes work on the Parliamentary Estate full time, and that contractors in particular may only hold a pass for a limited time period and/or for limited buildings in accordance with business need.
The following data is a snapshot of staff of both Houses and contractors broken down by Department, from 30 April 2024:
Commons and Bicameral Staff | Pass Count |
Chamber and Participation | 570 |
Parliamentary Digital Service | 537 |
Security | 491 |
Customer Experience and Service Delivery | 416 |
Select Committee Team | 298 |
Strategic Estates | 308 |
Research and Information | 219 |
Parliamentary Maintenance Department | 159 |
Finance Portfolio and Performance | 124 |
People and Culture | 113 |
Office of the Executive | 73 |
Governance Office | 38 |
Restoration and Renewal Client Team | 24 |
Speakers Office | 23 |
Independent Complaints and Grievance | 11 |
Grand Total | 3404 |
Pass Count | |
Staff | 705 |
Contractors | 89 |
Grand Total | 794 |
Detailed data for the House of Lords Administration has not been included as it is a separate organisation.
Delivery Authority | Pass Count |
Staff* | 184 |
Contractors | 256 |
Grand Total | 440 |
*Listed in Answer of 26 April 2024 to Question 22724 under category ‘(g) any other category’
All other contractors
Sponsor | Pass Count |
Strategic Estates | 2500 |
Parliamentary Maintenance Department | 710 |
Customer Experience and Service Delivery | 285 |
Parliamentary Digital Service | 133 |
Chamber and Participation | 113 |
Outside Organisations | 87 |
Security | 65 |
People and Culture | 65 |
Research and Information | 47 |
Select Committee Team | 14 |
Restoration and Renewal Client Team | 11 |
Finance Portfolio and Performance | 8 |
Governance Office | 7 |
Office of the Executive | Fewer than five* |
Independent Complaints and Grievance | Fewer than five |
Speaker’s Office** | Fewer than five |
Grand Total | 4051 |
* Some numbers have been withheld owing to the low numbers of individuals involved (fewer than five), and disclosing this data may make it possible for individuals to be identified.
** The Speaker directly sponsors passes for Members of the Armed Forces doing secondments and UK representatives of overseas territories. These positions are not funded by the House of Commons and total 18 passes.
Yes4 people think so
No5 people think not
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The House of Commons is one of the houses of parliament. Here, elected MPs (elected by the "commons", i.e. the people) debate. In modern times, nearly all power resides in this house. In the commons are 650 MPs, as well as a speaker and three deputy speakers.
The house of Lords is the upper chamber of the Houses of Parliament. It is filled with Lords (I.E. Lords, Dukes, Baron/esses, Earls, Marquis/esses, Viscounts, Count/esses, etc.) The Lords consider proposals from the EU or from the commons. They can then reject a bill, accept it, or make amendments. If a bill is rejected, the commons can send it back to the lords for re-discussion. The Lords cannot stop a bill for longer than one parliamentary session. If a bill is accepted, it is forwarded to the Queen, who will then sign it and make it law. If a bill is amended, the amended bill is sent back to the House of Commons for discussion.
The Lords are not elected; they are appointed. Lords can take a "whip", that is to say, they can choose a party to represent. Currently, most Peers are Conservative.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
