ANNUAL REPORT
2002-03
Office
Reports
House of Lords Administration:
Organisation Chart
INTRODUCTION
1. The House of Lords' administration (excluding staff
of the political parties or individual Members) employed numbers
416 staff on 31 March 2003, including a number of part-time
staff. The posts of Accounting Officer and, in accordance
with the Parliamentary Corporate Bodies Act 1992, the Corporate
Officer of the House of Lords are held by the Clerk of the
Parliaments. For the period covered by this Report, the Clerk
of the Parliaments was Sir Michael Davies. He was succeeded
in July 2003 by Mr Paul Hayter. Staff salaries and employment
costs in 2002-03, including those for Refreshment Department
staff, totalled £10m.
2. The Clerk of the Parliaments is assisted by a Management
Board consisting of six senior members of staff (see paragraph
28 above). The administration is divided into 15 offices whose
annual reports are set out below.
3. The House of Lords' Strategic Plan, including the
aims and objectives of the Administration as well as its values
and primary tasks, is set out in Appendix B.
Clerk of
the Parliaments' Office
(Clerk of the Parliaments: Sir Michael Davies)
1 Purpose
The Office supports the Clerk of the Parliaments
in carrying out his functions and responsibilities. It also
supports the Clerk Assistant and the Reading Clerk, and from
April 2003, the Chairman of Committees. Additionally, the
Office provides administrative support for the House Committee,
the Audit Committee and the Management Board; has responsibility
for the production of the Minute of Proceedings and Order
Paper; and carries out internal audit and staff advice functions.
2 Organisation
There were 12 members of staff at 31 March
2003. These were the three Clerks at the Table, the Private
Secretary to the Clerk of the Parliaments and 3 personal secretaries;
2 posts which assist in the production of the Minute and Order
Paper; and the Internal Review team comprising the Internal
Auditor, an Assistant Auditor and the Staff Adviser.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
-
The Clerk Assistant
continued to have responsibility for the Legislation Office,
the Minute and Order Paper and for strategy on information
technology and systems.
-
The Reading Clerk took
part in the Introduction ceremonies for 10 new Lords. He
continued as Principal Finance Officer. From January 2003,
he received support from the new post of Financial Adviser
which is located in the Accountant's Office.
-
Following the major
changes in the Administration of the House (described in
paragraphs 18 to 42 of the Review of the Year), a new post
of Private Secretary to the Clerk of the Parliaments and
Secretary to the Management Board was created; in April
2003 the post of Private Secretary to the Chairman of Committees
was transferred to the Office so as to bring together staff
support for the new management arrangements.
-
From the new session
in November 2002, the Office provided support for the House
Committee and Management Board, which, during the remainder
of the financial year, met on three and six occasions respectively.
-
The Audit Committee
was appointed for the first time in July 2002 and met twice
in the financial year. Its first annual report appears on
pages 37 to 40.
-
Amongst the important
reviews carried out by the Staff Adviser were those on the
Computer, the Accountant's, and the Journal and Information
Offices, and a review of senior staff gradings. The work
of the Internal Auditor is described in the Review of the
Year (paragraph 99). An additional post of Assistant Auditor
was created to meet a growing requirement for audit and
the introduction of risk management across the Administration.
-
A Business Planning
Group was appointed, chaired by the Clerk Assistant. The
Group prepared a draft Strategic Plan for the Management
Board; commissioned Business Plans from Offices for the
period 2004-07, on the basis of which it put forward a corporate
Business Plan for the Administration; and explained these
developments to staff at a series of consultative meetings.
-
* The work involved in
the production of the Minute and Order Paper was transferred
to the Office and continued to grow. The appointment of
an executive officer post made it possible to improve the
provision of services to Members.
The cash budget for the Clerk of the Parliaments'
Office in 2002-03 before virement was £1,819,213. Actual
cash expenditure was £1,958,394. The overspend was due
to additional costs incurred by the early replacement of broadcasting
equipment in the Chamber. Overall savings were achieved by
bringing forward this expenditure by a year and joining the
House of Commons in the procurement of the equipment.
4 Future Activities
-
Changes to the responsibilities
held by members of the Management Board following the appointment
of the new Clerk of the Parliaments.
-
Overseeing a review
of the provision of services to Members, including a consultation
exercise.
-
A further Business Planning
exercise for the next 3 year period to be prepared in the
light of experience gained in the first year.
-
Further development
of the new administrative arrangements, and restructuring
of the support staff in the Office, together with changes
in accommodation to bring the support staff closer together.
Accountant's
Office
(Accountant: Andrew Underwood)
1 Purpose
The aim of the Office is to provide accounting
and financial services to the House. Areas of operation include:
(i) financial management and administration; (ii) financial
advice; (iii) financial reporting; (iv) resource and cash
management; (v) payments to Members, suppliers and staff;
and (vi) accounting for receipts from Members, staff and the
public.
2 Organisation
The Accountant's Office has a staff of 17 (4
more than last year). One member of staff is located in the
Refreshment Department (responsibility for this post was transferred
to the Refreshment Department on 1 April 2003). 9 members
of staff hold professional accounting qualifications and 2
others are undertaking training towards this goal.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
The Resource Accounts for 2001-02 were completed
during the year and published in February 2003. A single resource
based estimate was submitted to the Treasury for 2003-04.
6,066 Peers' claims for expenses were paid
during the year, of which 85% were paid within the target
time of 7 days of receipt. 8,243 other payments were made
during the year for the House as a whole. 100% of the Accountant's
Office's own invoices were paid within 30 days of receipt.
An increase in staff which followed a staff
review during 2002 was required to enable the Office to adapt
to the changing needs of the House and its management structures
and to take a more proactive role in financial management.
In addition, an appointment was made to the new post of Financial
Adviser in January 2003.
The cash budget for the Accountant's Office
in 2002-03 was £467,045, increased by Supplementary Estimate
to £504,850. Actual cash expenditure totalled £466,434
(£395,627 in 2001-02); the increase was mainly due to
additional staff costs. The cash budget for Peers' expenses
for 2002-03 was for £13,308,000, increased by Supplementary
Estimate to £14,038,850; actual expenditure totalled
£13,385,579 (£10,014,470 in 2001-02).
4 Future Activities
-
The Office will continue
to be closely involved in developments in the financial
management of the House, including business and financial
planning.
-
The House's Business
Plan will be integrated into the submission to the Government's
2004 Spending Review.
-
A system providing resource
based reporting for in-year financial management will be
developed.
-
Preparations to meet
the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act when
implemented in January 2005 will continue.
-
The possibility of linking
the Office's accounting systems to the PDVN will be pursued.
-
Preparations for the
possible implementation of new computer systems will begin.
In particular, the option of introducing the House Administrative
Information System (HAIS) or a similar system will be considered.
Committee
Office
(Clerk of Committees: Rhodri Walters, who succeeded David Beamish
in October 2002)
1 Purpose
The Office provides select committees with
procedural and legal advice and the administrative support
necessary to fulfil the committees' orders of reference and
assists them in disseminating their reports and promoting
their influence.
2 Organisation
The work of the European Union Committee, the
Science and Technology Committee, the Constitution Committee,
the Economic Affairs Committee (all sessional, ie. permanent
committees) and any ad hoc
Select Committees is supported by the Committee Office. The
Office also supports pre-legislative scrutiny committees and,
with the Clerk's Department of the House of Commons, supports
the Joint Committee on Human Rights. The Office has a complement
of 42 staff (14 Clerks, a Legal Adviser and Legal Assistant
to the European Union Committee, a Legal Adviser to the Joint
Committee on Human Rights, 5 Committee Specialists/Researchers,
2 IT support staff and 18 secretarial, executive and clerical
staff). Each sub-committee and committee is served by a clerk,
a shared committee specialist or researcher and a personal
secretary. Committees regularly appoint specialist advisers
for particular inquires.
An additional Clerk post was filled in October
2002 and three new posts of committee specialist, to provide
support to the European Union Committee and its sub-committees,
were filled in June and July 2002; a fourth, to support pre-legislative
scrutiny and ad hoc
committees, was filled in March 2003.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
An account of the work of select committees
in 2002-03 is given in the Review of the Year (page 51).
A new Weekly Bulletin of committee work with
redesigned layout replaced the former Weekly Agenda; and a
new design for select committee reports was agreed. The new
post of Press and Information Officer for committees has greatly
strengthened the support available to committees in publicising
their inquiries and reports.
Budget provision for the Committee Office in
2002-03 was £2,231,200; actual cash expenditure was £2,158,831
(£1,780,860 in 2001-02)
4 Future Activities
-
The Office will provide
support for the Sub-Committee of the Economic Affairs Committee
to examine the Finance Bill, for a programme of pre-legislative
scrutiny of various bills, for the likely appointment of
an additional sub-committee of the EU Committee and for
any ad hoc
committee which may be established.
-
Select Committee reports
will be published in a new format with effect from the beginning
of the Parliamentary session 2003-04.
-
A new report style guide
will be prepared.
Computer Office
(Computer Officer: Les Hobbs)
1 Purpose
The Office provides the necessary support and
expertise to enable Members and staff to take full advantage
of information technology in discharging their functions.
The Office supports the development of strategic approaches
to allow full use of technological advances.
2 Organisation
The Computer Office had a staff complement
of 11: the Computer Officer, 2 development officers,
5 Training and Support Officers, an Intranet Webmaster, and
2 assistants. Three posts were unfilled for long periods and
were covered by agency staff.
Towards the end of the year, the recommendations
of a review by the Staff Adviser were agreed. These involve
4 new posts, to which appointments will be made in 2003-04,
an enhanced help desk service and a new emphasis on the development
of business information systems.
In support of the Information Systems strategy
shared by both Houses, a Parliamentary Programme Support Office
was established to co-ordinate the overall delivery of core
shared information systems. The Lords will contribute 25%
of the costs (£30,000 p.a.). The Programme Support Office
works closely alongside the bicameral Information Architecture
Support Unit (IASU) which has responsibility for the creation
of an information architecture or framework within which Information
Systems can be designed in a consistent way. It also manages
the Parliamentary Internet. The staff of IASU are funded by
the Commons (75%) and the Lords (25%, which amounts to £57,000).
Computer Office staff work closely with IASU and the Programme
Office.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
Continued collaboration with the House of Commons
saw the revision of the joint Information Systems Strategy
and the implementation of a redesigned Parliamentary website.
Demand for connection to the Parliamentary
Data and Video Network (PDVN) has remained high, and 177 new
PCs were loaned to Members (144 in the previous year). Of
these, 54 (88) were replacements for end-of-life models and
32 (56) were for first loan requests. A further 83 computers
were replaced as part of the migration to the new Parliamentary
Windows 2000 standard. 274 individual training places were
organised for Members, compared with 320 in 2001-02. The number
of calls for support during the year increased from 3,647
in 2001-02 to 4,971. Despite this increase, the proportion
of calls resolved within internal working targets remained
consistent. Help Desk opening hours were extended by five
extra hours per week.
Projects undertaken during the year and not
reported in the Review of the Year, (paragraphs 90 to 93)
included:
-
The upgrading or replacement
of 300 staff computers and 280 Member computers to the new
Parliamentary standard based on Windows 2000, Office XP
and Active Directory. Feedback forms issued to Members indicate
the following scores for very good or excellent gradings:
-
-
-
The implementation of
a high availability fileserver for use by staff and Members.
-
The provision of web
based computer training for Members.
-
A revised Service Level
Agreement was concluded with the Parliamentary Communications
Directorate. This defines the service levels expected by
the House in respect of the Parliamentary network.
Budget provision for the year was £1,868,782
(£1,899,000 in 2001-02) and out-turn expenditure £1,838,275
(£1,324,849 in 2001-02), an underspend of 1.6 %.
4 Future Activities
-
The implementation of
a new staff structure, including the formation of a Business
Systems team to enable the administrative processes of the
House to benefit from information systems. The Help desk
service will be enhanced with opening hours extended to
7.00 pm on sitting days.
-
The main strategic priority
is further development and implementation of a joint Parliamentary
Information Systems strategy. Key activities will be continuing
development of the intranet and the availability of e-services;
expansion of the Internet; and procurement of the Parliamentary
Information Management System.
-
A new method of remote
access to the Internet and Parliamentary information services,
including broadband links, will be implemented for Members.
-
The Office will work
closely with the Parliamentary Communications Directorate
to implement a refresh of the Parliamentary network in the
Summer of 2003 and to introduce a "Critical Services Network".
Establishment
Office
(Establishment Officer: Edward Ollard)
1 Purpose
To ensure that the House of Lords has a workforce
with the skills and commitment to meet the requirements of
its Offices and departments; and that it provides a satisfying
working environment in which staff are treated with respect
and enabled to fulfil their potential.
2 Organisation
The Establishment Office has 9 members of staff,
2 of whom work exclusively on superannuation and related matters.
The Establishment Officer is Clerk to the Refreshment Committee
and is responsible, on behalf of the Clerk of the Parliaments,
for supervising the Refreshment Department. The complement
of the Office increased by one junior administrator post (D1)
during the year.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
-
A pay settlement for
2002 was negotiated with staff representatives and a new
pay system for senior staff introduced.
-
A new staff pension
scheme was introduced with effect from 1 October 2002.
-
The Staff Handbook was
recast and revised to reflect, in particular, new statutory
arrangements for leave related to family and caring responsibilities.
-
The Office supervised
the recruitment of 80 new staff following 54 recruitment
boards, and was involved in 29 internal appointments boards.
Equivalent figures for 2001-02 were 63, 38 and 12.
-
The Office prepared
pension authorisations for 67 retirements or resignations;
and calculated 133 worked responses to enquiries and estimates
relating to pensions, and 420 personal pension forecasts
in connection with the new staff pension scheme options
exercise. Equivalent figures for 2001-02 were 63, 121 and
nil.
Net cash expenditure by the Establishment Office
was £614,256. Gross cash expenditure on superannuation
was £1,638,108. Superannuation contributions collected
for family benefits totalled £246,518. (Equivalent figures
in 2001-02 were £524,076, £1,616,209, and £210,538.)
4 Future Activities
-
Negotiate the acceptance
of proposals on 2003 pay and implement a new pay system
for staff in bands A-D.
-
Introduce a new staff
performance appraisal system to take effect from April 2004.
-
Conduct an initial assessment
of the steps necessary for the House to achieve recognition
as an Investor in People,
and, subject to approval, begin the accreditation process.
-
Develop the Establishment
Office presence on the Internet and Intranet.
-
Prepare as an Office
for the implementation of the Data Protection Act 1998.
-
Assess the impact of
changing sitting patterns on conditions of service.
Journal
and Information Office
(Clerk of the Journals: David Beamish, who succeeded
Brendan Keith in October 2002)
The Office consists of two sections, each with
its own management structure:
1 Purpose
The Journal Office provides a research and
record-keeping service and advises on present and past procedural
developments; maintains records of membership and business
of the House; and compiles the Journals of the House (the
authoritative record of proceedings).
The Information Office produces and disseminates
publications about the role and work of the House; manages
contacts with the press and media; is the main liaison point
for the Parliamentary Education Unit (PEU); and provides an
enquiry service for Members of the House, the public, press
and staff.
2 Organisation
There were 7 staff in the Journal Office, one
of whom was based in the Minute Room producing the daily Minutes
of Proceedings. That post was transferred to the Clerk of
the Parliaments' Office in April 2003. One post has been vacant
since Summer 2002. Two others are part-time posts.
There are 7 staff in the Information Office:
the Director of Public Information, her PA and Office Manager,
the Press and Publicity Officer (Committees) (who was appointed
in March 2002), the Publications and Publicity Officer, the
Head of the Enquiry Unit, and 2 Information Assistants.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
Many of the activities of the Office are described
in the Review of the Year (page 29).
The Office led the information team involved
in the Queen Mother's Lying-in-State in Westminster Hall.
The Clerk of the Journals was Lords' Clerk
to the Joint Committee on House of Lords' Reform and Clerk
to the Procedure Committee, which examined at length the proposals
of the Group on the Working Practices of the House.
New editions of the Standing Orders (Public
Business), the Companion to the Standing
Orders, and the pocket guide Procedure
& Practice were published.
The administration of, and the handling of
publicity in relation to, the hereditary peers' by-election
held in March 2003 in consequence of the death of the Viscount
Oxfuird.
Net cash expenditure was £658,005 compared
with £667,501 in 2001-02.
4 Future Activities
-
Implementation of administrative
changes following a review by the Staff Adviser in Autumn
2002.
-
Action will be taken
to outsource the indexing of the Journals.
-
Improvement of the robustness
and usability of information kept in electronic form, in
particular statistical information about the House and its
work.
-
Production and dissemination
of further information material about the work of the House
in various formats and media, including the website.
Judicial Office
(Clerk of the Judicial Office: Brendan Keith, who succeeded
James Vallance White in October 2002)
1 Purpose
The aims of the Judicial Office are: (a) to
enable the House to discharge its judicial function; and (b)
to compile, maintain and publish an up-to-date Register of
Lords' Interests.
2 Organisation
To achieve its objectives, the Judicial Office
operates in three parts: (i) the general Office; (ii) the
Law Lords' Office; and (iii) the Office of the Registrar of
Lords' Interests.
The general Office (2 Clerks, 2 doorkeepers
and 5 other staff) deals mainly with the legal profession
and the general public. It advises on, and administers, the
rules governing appeals to the House of Lords. It processes
the documents needed for such appeals, arranges hearings by
the Law Lords, and takes in the fees charged on judicial business.
It is also responsible for taxing judicial costs, ie. assessing
the amounts of money to be paid to barristers and solicitors
for work in connection with appeals to the House.
The Law Lords' Office (7 staff plus 4 legal
assistants on annual contracts), under the general supervision
of the two Clerks, supports the 12 Lords of Appeal in Ordinary
and provides research and secretarial services, particularly
the processing and publication of Opinions (judgments).
The Registrar of Lords' Interests plus a secretary
maintain and monitor the operation of the Register of Lords'
Interests, advise Members about their obligations under the
House's Code of Conduct, and refer issues as appropriate to
the Privileges Committee's Sub-Committee on Lords' Interests.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
(i) Judicial Office:
The number of petitions for leave to appeal
disposed of in calendar year 2002 was similar to the previous
year. 72 appeals were determined. A summary table comparing
2002 with previous years is set out below. A fuller statistical
account is set out in Judicial Statistics,
published by the Lord Chancellor's Department.
|
Petitions for leave to
appeal |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
|
Pending at beginning of
year |
31 |
93 |
86 |
80 |
89 |
81 |
|
Presented during year |
253 |
287 |
236 |
241 |
264 |
252 |
|
Disposed of |
274 |
280 |
229 |
235 |
273 |
240 |
|
of which allowed |
99 |
101 |
58 |
68 |
63 |
62 |
|
of which refused |
166 |
170 |
156 |
152 |
193 |
164 |
|
Pending at end of year |
10 |
31 |
93 |
86 |
80 |
73 |
| Petitions of appeal |
|
Pending at beginning of
year |
89 |
90 |
94 |
66 |
53 |
66 |
|
Presented during year |
107 |
84 |
79 |
82 |
83 |
83 |
|
Determined |
72 |
85 |
76 |
60 |
60 |
71 |
|
Pending at end of year |
92 |
89 |
90 |
94 |
66 |
53 |
The Judicial Office retains its responsibility
for peerage claims although none were referred to the Committee
for Privileges during the year. In conjunction with the Crown
Office, the Judicial Office processed the claims of hereditary
peers seeking to prove their succession and their admission
to the register of hereditary peers wishing to stand in by-elections.
The group of 4 judicial assistants appointed
in 2001 to assist the Law Lords successfully completed their
year's posting in July 2002 and a new group of 4 began work
in October.
Work continued on developing the petitions
database.
New arrangements were made for the taxation
of bills of costs. The Clerk of the Parliaments appointed
as judicial taxing officers the Principal Clerk of the Judicial
Office, and the Senior Costs Judge of the Supreme Court of
England and Wales. Taxations are now conducted in public by
the taxing officers sitting as a court of two. This ensures
transparency and best practice. An appeal lies from their
decisions to the Appeal Committee.
(ii) Registrar of Lords' Interests:
This is described in the Review of the Year
(page 25).
Budget
The budget for the Office was £177,210
(£168,300 in 2001-02; £141,484 in 2000-01 and £112,610
in 1999-2000). Total net expenditure was £78,806 (£123,833
in 2001-02; £141,484 in 2000-01 and £108,352 in
1999-2000). This does not include the Law Lords' salaries
which are paid from the Consolidated Fund. Total receipts
were £571,926 (£499,715 in 2001-02; £443,220
in 2000-01 and £496,708 in 1999-2000), 7.3% above estimate.
4 Future Activities
Judicial Office:
-
A revised edition of
the guide to taxations reflecting the changes in taxation
procedure will be published in 2003.
-
Further improvements
will be made to the petitions database and the Internet
site.
Registrar of Lords' Interests:
-
In accordance with the
undertaking of the Leader of the House at the time the new
Code of Conduct was adopted, a review of the Code and the
operation of the Register of Lords' Interests will be carried
out in Autumn 2003.
Legislation Office
(Clerk Assistant and Clerk of Legislation: Paul Hayter)
The Legislation Office comprises offices responsible
for Public Bills, Private Bills and (until the end of the
financial year 2002-03) support for the Chairman of Committees.
Financial Performance
Budget provision for 2002-03 was £1,013,462
and net cash expenditure was £925,063. The out-turn for
public bills was £533,858 (£344,347 in 2001-02)
and for private bills and the Chairman of Committees, net
of fee income, £391,205 (£365,424 in 2001-02). Fee
income from private bills was £36,056 (£28,000 in
2001-02).
Public
Bills
(Clerk of Public Bills: Tom Mohan, who succeeded Rhodri
Walters in October 2002)
1 Purpose
The Office manages and assists the processes
relating to the House's consideration of public legislation
and authorises, on behalf of the Clerk of the Parliaments,
the publication of Acts of Parliament and Measures.
2 Organisation
The complement consists of the Clerk Assistant,
2 Clerks, a Higher Executive Officer and 2 Executive Officers.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
-
36 public bills received
Royal Assent. The Office drafted, or assisted in the drafting
of, 26 bills for private members. The House dealt with 8,457
amendments, of which 2,485 were agreed to.
-
The Office assumed full
responsibility for the support of Grand Committees. The
number of sittings of these committees increased markedly
during the year (see Review of the Year, page 13).
-
The Office published
the first reprint since 1982 of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Disqualification Act 1975.
-
The Joint Committee
on Tax Law Rewrite Bills met twice to consider the Income
Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Bill, a 550-page bill which
received Royal Assent on 6 March 2003.
-
Further development
of the software used for electronic processing of legislation.
-
Responding to the possible
further increase in the number of Grand Committee sittings.
Private
Bills and Chairman of Committees' Office
(Clerk of Private Bills and Examiner: Tom Mohan)
1 Purpose
The Office supervises the passage of private
legislation in accordance with the requirements of the House.
The Office also supported the Chairman of Committees; this
function was transferred to the Clerk of the Parliaments'
Office at the start of the 2003-04 financial year.
2 Organisation
During 2002-03, the complement comprised 6
posts (including 2 part-time Counsel sharing a post). These
included the Clerk to the Delegated Powers and Regulatory
Reform Committee, and a Clerk acting as Private Secretary
to the Chairman of Committees and Clerk to the House Committee.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
-
7 private acts (compared
with 3 in 2001-02) received Royal Assent in 2002-03. 3(7)
private bills were deposited in November 2002. 4 bills were
carried over from the preceding session. 2(27) petitions
were deposited against private bills.
-
5(4) unopposed bill
committees sat, 1 produced a special report; the Standing
Orders Committee sat twice to consider 3 cases of non-compliance
with Standing Orders.
-
Select Committees sat
for a total of 6 days. Both produced special reports.
-
The Chairman of Committees
made a determination under Private Business Standing Order
130.
-
There was one, unopposed,
Special Procedure Order.
The Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform
Committee made 27 reports (compared with 24 in
2001-02); reported on 47 bills, 9 sets of Government amendments
and 9 Government responses; and considered 9 proposals for
Regulatory Reform Orders ("first-stage scrutiny") and 8 draft
Regulatory Reform Orders ("second-stage scrutiny"). Further
information on the Committee's work is contained in the Review
of the Year (page 14).
4 Future Activities
-
In view of the low levels
of activity on Private Bills, merger of the resources of
the Private Bill Office with those of the Public Bill Office.
-
Improving documentation
of private bill procedure and practice.
Library
(Librarian: David Jones)
1 Purpose
The Library provides research, information
and bibliographic services to support the legislative, deliberative
and judicial functions of the House.
2 Organisation
The Library has 31 staff (including 2 temporary
appointments) and 2 part-time staff; 16 of the 23 graduates
on the staff hold professional library qualifications. Responsibility
for the Library's research services was transferred from the
Deputy Librarian to a new post, Head of Research Services.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
Increasing reliance on electronic sources in
the provision of research and information for Members led
to the nomination of a Senior Assistant Librarian as Electronic
Resources Librarian and to the development of Library web
pages on the Parliamentary Intranet. This has resulted in
more efficient management of, and easier access to, the Library's
extensive collection of databases, especially legal databases,
and electronic journals and the Library's catalogue. The necessary
conversion of the operating system on the Parliamentary Network
to Windows 2000 and of the related applications to Windows
XP was successfully completed in 2002. The CD-Rom databases
were relaunched using Citrix Nfuse, and this has proved to
be resilient. Towards the end of the year, a database to control
inter-library loans was developed.
The programme of work continued on the renovation
of the Library's storerooms in the Palace with the contents
of two storerooms being stored offsite. The Technical Services
Room was also refurbished. These renovations have led to a
significant improvement in access to material and working
conditions for staff. New shelving was installed near the
Law Lords' offices in order to cope with the growth of the
collection housed there and to provide more efficient access
to the collection. A shelf-check of the Library's collections
was initiated.
Library staff were involved, with the House
of Commons Library, in discussions on the development of the
Parliamentary Information Management Services (PIMS) which
will replace POLIS. A number of Library staff received training
in the use of XML standards.
Staff at the Information Desk again dealt with
a record number of enquiries - 19,537 compared with 17,230
in 2001-02. There was a steady use of the services provided
in the Millbank Library and by the Assistant Librarian in
charge of the Law Lords' collection. The Research Section
also dealt with a record number of enquiries: 1,870 (1,529
in 2001-02). 1,436 new titles or new editions were added to
the Library's catalogue (1,698 in 2001-02) and 5,248 items
were added to the POLIS database (5,006 in 2001-02).
A draft business plan for the Library covering
the years 2004-05 to 2006-07 was produced in consultation
with Library staff and submitted to the Management Board.
Budget provision for 2002-03 was £1,747,947.
Net cash expenditure was £1,592,111 (£1,538,502
in 2001-02).
4 Future Activities
-
The development of the
Parliamentary Information Management Services.
-
Further development
of access to electronic texts and information.
-
Final completion of
the renovation of the basement storerooms.
Official Report
(Hansard)
(Editor: Carole Boden, who was succeeded by Jackie Bradshaw
in April 2003)
1 Purpose
To support the work of the House and its Members
by providing a record of the proceedings in accordance with
the requirements of the House.
2 Organisation
The Department is headed by the Editor of Debates.
There are a Deputy Editor, 4 Assistant Editors (one post is
job-shared), 3 Chief Reporters, 14 Reporters (2 posts are
job-shared), an Office Manager, a Personal Secretary (on a
job-share basis) and 2 Executive Officers (IT Managers).
On any one day, the House reporting team consists
of 15 Chief Reporters and Reporters plus 4 Editors, with the
Editor or Deputy Editor responsible for the overall form and
production of the day's report, including the processing of
Written Answers.
Grand Committees (which sit for 31Ž2
to 4 hours) are reported by a team of 6 Reporters headed by
a Chief Reporter. For Northern Ireland Grand Committees (which
sit for only 2 hours) the team consists of 4 Reporters and
a Chief Reporter.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
161 Daily Reports and 37 weekly volumes were
published. From these, 13 Bound Volumes will be compiled.
The report of each day's proceedings was published in full
on every occasion, with no report left over to the next sitting
day.
The number of Grand Committee sittings increased
substantially: there were 34 sittings on 11 Bills, and 6 Northern
Ireland Orders. These Committees continue to be managed by
the Chief Reporters and, after an increase in staff of 2 Reporters,
are now reported entirely with House staff, freelance transcribers
no longer being used.
The electronic version of Hansard
has been published daily on the Parliamentary Data and Video
Network (PDVN) and the Internet and, in the latter case, was
the subject of over 5 million hits during the year. The text
from 16 November 1994 is available on-line on both the PDVN
and the Internet, with the text from earlier years available
on CD-Rom. Corrections are made not only for the Bound Volume
but also to the electronic text. The accuracy rate, measured
by the number of electronic corrections (72) as a percentage
of pages produced (11,320), is 99.994%.
The Department has implemented its plan to
provide on-line links to lengthy material which is referred
to in Written Answers and placed in the Library.
The cash budget for the financial year was
£1,743,400, increased by Supplementary Estimate to £2,015,400,
against which net cash expenditure of £2,015,129 was
incurred. This compares with net expenditure of £1,590,181
in 2001-02. The 15% (£267,595) overspend on the original
estimate was due to the £288,753 overrun in printing
costs, £210,687 of which related to higher than expected
indexing costs.
4 Future Activities
-
To respond promptly
to the unpredictable demands of Grand Committee sittings
and the number of Written Answers as well as changes to
sitting hours and the parliamentary calendar.
-
The Department remains
committed to developing its computer-based production processes
and will assess the prospects for increased efficiency,
improved standards of service and lower printing costs.
-
A new indexing system
will be introduced in collaboration with TSO.
-
To take forward, in
cooperation with the House of Commons, the electronic delivery
and processing of Written Answers in a more pro-active manner
and involving all stakeholders.
Overseas Office
(Clerk: Rhodri Walters, who succeeded David Beamish in
October 2002)
1 Purpose
The Office facilitates contacts between the
House of Lords and overseas parliaments and international
assemblies, including the arrangement of inward visits; and
provides advice and support to Lords, including the Lord Chancellor,
when attending conferences overseas.
2 Organisation
The Clerk of the Overseas Office undertakes
his duties in addition to being Clerk of Committees. He is
supported by one full-time member of staff, the Visits Co-ordinator.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
Many of the activities of the Office during
2002-03 are described in the Review of the Year (page 24)
The Office received and prepared programmes
for members and officials from Overseas Parliaments and collaborated
in the first Parliamentary Co-operation Programme to be run
by the Commons' Overseas Office. The aim of the programme
is to concentrate inward attachments from overseas, principally
Commonwealth, parliaments into fixed periods of the year.
The Office also dealt with a wide range of enquiries and communications
from overseas parliaments, many of them in the form of letters
to the Lord Chancellor as Speaker of the House inviting him
or other representatives of the House to participate in international
meetings of parliamentary interest.
The Clerk of the Parliaments attended a meeting
of Presiding Officers of the British Isles in Belfast on 28
June 2002, and the Canadian Clerks' Professional Development
Seminar in Canada in August 2002. He was represented by the
Clerk Assistant at a meeting of the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table
in Commonwealth Parliaments, held in conjunction with the
48th CPA Conference in Windhoek, Namibia, in September 2002;
and of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments
(ASGP) held in conjunction with the 107th IPU Conference in
Geneva later that month. The Clerk of Committees attended
the annual meeting of the Association of New Zealand and Australian
Clerks at the Table in Alice Springs in July 2003. The Deputy
Editor of Hansard participated in the Association of Commonwealth
Hansard Editors in Fiji in July 2002.
Budget provision for the Overseas Office in
2002-03 was £298,880, increased by Supplementary Estimate
to £357,380; actual cash expenditure was £357,337
(£265,596 in 2001-02).
4 Future Activities
-
The annual Conference
of European Union Speakers in Athens from 24-25 May 2003.
-
Logistical support for
the CPA's 34th British Isles and Mediterranean Regional
Conference in London and Cambridge from 1520 June.
-
The Office will assist
in hosting the members of the ASGP during the 109th IPU
Conference to be held in London between 28 March and 2 April
2004.
-
The Office will co-host
with the Commons the OSCE Conference in Edinburgh between
9 and
13 July 2004.
Printed Paper
Office (including Supplies Office)
(Clerk of the Printed Paper Office: Chris Rogers)
1 Purpose
(1) To ensure the availability to the House
of those printed papers which are required by Members for
the proper discharge of their Parliamentary functions.
(2) To provide a procurement service and to
meet the needs of the House for stationery and office supplies.
2 Organisation
There were 9 members of staff at 31 March 2003,
of whom 2 were responsible for procurement and office supplies.
As a result of a staff review, the staff complement was reduced
by one during the year.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
The Office continued to provide a high standard
of service in the core business of providing papers, stationery
and office supplies to Members and offices. Other ongoing
work included the provision of postage-paid envelopes and
postcards to Members, together with associated recording and
control procedures; the management and monitoring of contracts
with The Stationery Office for the printing and supply of
core documents and the checking of related invoices on behalf
of the originating offices; the provision of advice and assistance
to other offices on procurement matters, in some cases in
conjunction with House of Commons' procurement staff; and
the receipt and recording of papers laid formally before the
House.
A new contract was negotiated for the provision
of office supplies. As a result, offices are now able to order
most of their requirements direct from the supplier, and the
need to hold extensive stocks has been eliminated.
After extensive negotiations, an order has
been placed for a new information system for the Office which
will replace the existing PPO database.
Following a review by the Staff Adviser, improvements
have been made in working practices, and the role of the Procurement
Officer has been further developed.
Budget provision was £1,761,000 (£1,463,300
in 2001-02 and £1,748,800 in 2000-01). Net cash expenditure
was £1,759,033 (£1,192,045 in 2001-02 and £1,584,473
in 2000-01), of which £1,418,517 (81%) related to the
provision of publications for Members and staff. The lower
expenditure in 2001-02 was due largely to the effect of the
General Election.
4 Future Activities
-
Introduction of a new
office information system, which will bring further improvements
in the efficiency of the Office and the service offered
to Members.
-
Further development
of the procurement service in the light of a House-wide
value for money review of procurement.
-
Preparation for the
letting of new contracts for the printing and supply of
House of Lords documents following the expiry of the current
contracts in March 2005.
Record Office
(The Parliamentary Archives)
(Clerk of the Records: Stephen Ellison)
1 Purpose
The Record Office provides a records management
service and an archives service for each House of Parliament,
answers enquiries about the archives and history of Parliament,
and makes records accessible to Members and the public in
the Search Room. Outreach activities aim to enhance public
awareness of the historical and information value of the archives
as a core resource of Parliament. The Freedom of Information
Officer has responsibility for ensuring compliance of the
House Administration with the Freedom of Information Act 2000
and the Data Protection Act 1998.
2 Organisation
The Office has a complement of 7 archivists
and records managers and 4 temporary archivists who have completed
the second year of four-year contracts in connection with
the automation project. They are assisted by 4 support staff,
6 conservation officers and a part-time manager (seconded
from the British Library), and 3 reprographic officers (seconded
from The Stationery Office).
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
Some of the key activities of the Office, including
those relating to Freedom of Information and Records Management,
are described in the Review of the Year (pages 28 and 31).
Archive Service: The
project for bringing the Victoria Tower repository up to archival
standard dominated the work of the Office because of the continuous
need to decant and restore records as building work moved
from floor to floor. At year end, the main air conditioning
plant had been installed and 5 strongrooms were restored to
archival use. The key outreach activity was the internet launch
of the on-line exhibition Citizenship
- A History of People, Rights and Power in Britain.
This was a joint project with the National Archives, funded
by the New Opportunities Fund, providing an accessible documentary
resource for lifelong learners. A small, but significant,
collection of the papers of Thomas Erskine May was acquired.
At the end of the third year of the automation
project there were 132,580 records in the catalogue. Catalogues
to 17 departments were retrospectively converted and 80 metres
of shelf space in the Victoria Tower was freed by their simultaneous
appraisal. 13,382 files of the Commons' European Scrutiny
Committee were catalogued from scratch and the Architectural
Archive was rearranged by provenance, and fully indexed. 11
catalogues to general Parliamentary bodies and 4 collections
were converted. Conversion work on the databases of Accessions,
Commons' and Lords' Committee papers was completed. The uploading
of data about records of microfilm and images will enable
linking of digital images to entries in the catalogue.
The archives and records management pages on
the newly-designed website launched in August 2002 are added
to monthly and are attracting increasing numbers of visitors,
as the table below shows.
Financial Performance:
The Record Office is a joint service of Parliament with its
budgeted costs shared by the Lords and Commons in the ratio
of 60:40. Gross cash expenditure was £887,996. There
were receipts of £15,821 from the sale of photocopies.
The comparable figures for last year were £824,773 and
£11,343. The Commons' contribution was £312,946.
Net cash expenditure on Freedom of Information and Data Protection
was £40,794 (£25,069)
4 Future Activities
-
Priority will be given
to completing rollout in each House of the corporate file
classification scheme for Parliamentary records; drafting
and approving records' disposal authorities for key functions
of Parliament; and devising strategy for the management
of electronic records.
-
Further preparations
for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act
and Data Protection Act in 2005.
-
The Works project to
bring the Victoria Tower repository up to archival standard
will continue.
-
Automation project work
will involve retroconversion of finding aids to the main
legislative, scrutiny and judicial records; launch of the
online catalogue in the public search room, and scoping
for internet access in 2005; and planning and implementation
of the archive management modules.
-
The document display
cases in the Royal Gallery will be replaced.
Refreshment
Department
(Head of Catering Services: Tim Lamming, who succeeded
Alfio Bibbiani in January 2003)
1 Purpose
The Department aims to provide high quality
catering services for Members, Officers, staff and guests.
It also provides a private function service and retails House
of Lords' gifts and souvenirs.
2 Organisation
The Department employs 107 staff (104 in 2001-02),
of whom 16 are in managerial positions and 3 are employed
in a clerical capacity. Considerable use is also made of casual
labour to mitigate the effects of variations in demand for
services and staff absences.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
The Department provided catering services through
9 trading outlets, a private function service and a Gift Shop.
The Millbank Cafeteria completed its first full financial
year of operation and performed well up to expectations.
Turnover for the year was £3.257m, representing
a 19.26% increase over 2001-02 and a record for the Department.
Gross profit was £1.675m (£1.43m in 2001-02).
The performance of each outlet continued to
be monitored with reference to specified profit targets, set
and reviewed periodically by the Refreshment Committee.
All internal and external performance targets
were met with the exception of the Peers Dining Room where
performance was 7% below target. Profitability in this outlet
was affected by several factors including variabilities in
sitting patterns.
During 2002-03, £710,000 of realised trading
profit was surrendered to the House of Lords' Request for
Resources (£750,000 in 2001-02)
The Refreshment Department expenditure falling
on the House of Lords' Request for Resources (chiefly wage
costs of staff other than those engaged in functions and retail)
amounted to £1.76m (£1.65m in 2001-02). Expenditure
falling on the Works Services Request for Resources was £213,492,
offset by a contribution by the Department of £4,862
as reimbursement of the cost of qualifying items of light
equipment under an agreement with the Parliamentary Estates
Directorate. The net cost of the Department's services was
approximately one million pounds.
4 Future Activities
-
2003-04 will see the
first stage of a major three-year kitchen and staff facilities
refurbishment project to address health and safety concerns,
improve staff facilities, improve capacity for revenue producing
functions, and create new and improved staff restaurant
facilities with larger capacity and greater flexibility.
-
Work to be completed
in 2003-04 will be the construction of the new basement
shell in Peers' Court, which will be used to accommodate
the improved storage and staff changing facilities.
-
In the light of the
extended closure of the main kitchen throughout the Summer
recess 2003, trading will be adversely affected, particularly
function business which is normally busy in September and
October.
-
The Department will
continue to offer the best possible catering facilities
and highest quality of service and be responsive to the
wishes of clientele. To this effect, a questionnaire was
designed and issued to Members in May 2003. The results
of the survey will be analysed and used to gauge the success
of the services provided.
Black Rod's
Department
(Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod: Lieutenant General
Sir Michael Willcocks)
1 Purpose
Black Rod's Department provides: security and
control of public and media access to the House and its Chamber;
accommodation; the building and works programme to maintain
and improve the fabric and usage of the House of Lords' estate;
and support facilities and domestic services. Black Rod is
also responsible for planning, organising and mounting all
ceremonial events, for Royal and State occasions in the Palace
of Westminster and, on behalf of the Lord Great Chamberlain,
for control of HM the Queen's residual estate within the Palace.
2 Organisation
The Department has 96 directly employed staff
which include the Doorkeepers, Attendants and Housekeepers
but not the members of the Metropolitan Police security staff
who work under the joint direction of Black Rod and the Serjeant
at Arms in the House of Commons. The organisation has remained
unchanged since last year and has a full complement of qualified
personnel.
3 Activities and Financial
Performance
The year was particularly busy with a number
of ceremonial events and the continuing high level of threat
from terrorist attack placing heavy demands on the security
staff.
a. Ceremonial
-
The Lying in State and
funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
between 5 and 9 April 2002 (see Review of the Year page
27).
-
The celebration of Her
Majesty The Queen's Golden Jubilee in Westminster Hall on
30 April 2002 and her subsequent tour of the Palace of Westminster,
followed by a reception for Members and staff in the Royal
Gallery; and the acceptance of the Golden Jubilee sundial
on behalf of the Queen (see page 26).
-
The Lord Chancellor's
Breakfast in Westminster Hall to mark the start of the Legal
Year on
1 October 2002.
-
The State Opening of
Parliament by Her Majesty The Queen in November 2002.
-
The security of the
Palace of Westminster is a closely co-ordinated operation
between the Lords' and Commons' authorities, the Metropolitan
Police and the Security Services.
-
There has been continuous
review, adjustment and improvement to the physical, technical
and procedural security measures throughout the year.
-
An accommodation strategy,
aimed at meeting the current and future needs of Members
and their staff and the other offices of the House of Lords,
is being updated, using the emerging results of an accommodation
survey which is being carried out by a team of consultants.
-
The design phase for
the use of Fielden House was completed.
-
Following another successful
summer recess opening of the Palace of Westminster for public
tours (Line of Route) in 2002, it was decided to rationalise
arrangements for guided tours of the Houses of Parliament.
Accordingly, a Central Tours Office has been established
(see page 29).
-
The changes in sitting
patterns in both Houses have reduced the scope for visitors'
tours at these times.
e. Works
As budgetholder for Works, Black Rod now chairs
the Project Boards for all major projects. A full programme
of summer Works was successfully completed in 2002 (see also
page 32).
-
The Old Palace Yard
restoration scheme (part of the "World Squares for All"
project) was completed.
-
The Victoria Tower Archives
project for improved fire precautions and air conditioning
completed its penultimate phase. It is due to finish in
2004.
-
Design work on the Refreshment
Department Refurbishment Project was completed.
f. Administration
Deregulation of postal services will necessitate
a new contract between Royal Mail and the Houses of Parliament.
A consultant has been employed to advise both Houses throughout
this process.
4 Finance
|
|
Cash Provision (£) |
Out-turn (£) |
Outturn (£) |
|
| Budget |
20022003 |
20022003 |
|
20012002 |
|
| Security |
7,033,000 |
6,976,264 |
5,894,156 |
| Works |
18,104,000 |
17,105,998 |
|
24,258,658 |
|
|
| Telecommunications |
609,000 |
573,805 |
552,630 |
| Black Rod's Dept |
1,886,373 |
1,680,373 |
|
1,687,928 |
|
| Postal Services |
266,000 |
144,609 |
161,666 |
|
| Total |
27,898,373 |
26,431,049 |
|
32,555,038 |
|
5 Future Activities
-
Completion of security
enhancements.
-
Renegotiation of the
Palace of Westminster Special Service Agreement for the
provision of security services (in conjunction with the
House of Commons).
-
Completion and implementation
of the accommodation survey results and finalisation of
the future accommodation strategy.
-
Negotiation of the mail
service contract in conjunction with the House of Commons.
-
Refurbishment of Fielden
House.
-
Completion of Phase
I of the Refreshment Department Modernisation by the excavation
of Peers Court.
-
The project to replace
the Palace main boilers and chillers will be completed.
-
Completion of the modernisation
of the Victoria Tower Archives.
|
