Recommendation 5

HM Government Not Addressed

To maintain effective transparency over the Programme: • Measures should be put in place by the Programme’s Accounting Officers to ensure the programme sponsor reports regularly to Parliament on progress, including information on the potential costs and risks estimates and any associated uncertainties. • The Commissions of both Houses should publish and place in their respective Libraries all minutes and advice documents supporting decisions relating to the programme, as well as the interdependent and wider works across the Parliamentary Estate. • The Delivery Authority should include engagement with parliamentary domestic committees as a critical stage in any future timetables. • Urgently, and at the latest before works commence, the Clerks of both Houses should review and improve processes to guarantee health and safety incidents are reported as soon as possible to those accountable for safety and those potentially affected by incidents. • The Government must be clearly engaged with the overall strategy and costs of the entire R&R project. First bullet – sponsor reporting The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments agree with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: the target date for implementing the new two-tier governance structures, and therefore revised arrangements for reporting to Parliament, is the end of the calendar year. Quarterly R&R progress reports will be published by the Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments after this date. Quarterly R&R progress reports will continue to be published. These will be issued by the two Clerks at the point that they become the Accounting Officers for R&R. The Public Accounts Committee will be notified of the publication of each report. Parliament will be engaged throughout the R&R programme and the two Houses will be asked to take decisions at different junctures. The proposed new governance model will also endeavour to ensure regular engagement and information-sharing and feedback sessions with Members of both Houses. Second bullet – publication of minutes and advice to Commissions This recommendation is not directed to any of the four accounting officers providing this response. It is a matter for the Commissions of each House as to what they publish and where. The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments undertake to raise the Committee’s request at the next meeting of their respective Commissions. Third bullet – engagement with parliamentary domestic committees The CEO of the Sponsor Body and the CEO of the Delivery Authority accept this recommendation. The domestic committees of the two Houses are key stakeholders for the R&R programme of works and have an important role advising the Commissions on the discharge of their functions. The Sponsor Body has valued the input of domestic committees in both Houses on a range of issues over the past two years. Under the new arrangements, engagement with parliamentary committees, including domestic committees, is likely to be overseen by the Client Team, based in the new parliamentary joint department, with the Delivery Authority’s close support and involvement. We intend to build on previous positive examples of engagement with domestic committees, for example for the R&R Programme Strategic Review in 2021, as well as the engagement currently taking place as part of the surveys programme. As recommended by the Committee, the Client Team and Delivery Authority will integrate engagement with parliamentary domestic committees into future planning schedules related to the works, as well as other key engagement and governance bodies such as the Programme Board. Fourth bullet – safety escalation and reporting protocols The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments agree with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: the revised safety escalation protocols were implemented on 6 April 2022. A further review of their effectiveness is scheduled for October 2022 to ensure they remain fit for purpose, with annual reviews thereafter. The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments have recently reviewed and updated the existing safety escalation arrangements within Parliament, implementing the improved protocols on 6 April 2022. The risk-based protocols, which were developed in consultation with the Trade Unions, incorporate trigger points for escalation based on Health and Safety Executive best practice and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. Training has been delivered to key staff in Parliament on these arrangements to ensure they become embedded. A further review of their effectiveness is scheduled for October 2022 to ensure they remain fit for purpose, with annual reviews thereafter. Any subsequent changes will be communicated to the Commissions. For the House of Commons’ Commission, this is via the regular safety updates provided at each Commission meeting. The Clerk of the Parliaments