9 January 2020

Attendees

Those present:           

• Mostaque Ahmed, Finance Director and Managing Director, Finance, Portfolio and Performance 
• Ian Ailles, Director General of the House of Commons and representing In-House Services and Strategic Estates (Chair) 
• John Benger, Clerk of the House  
• Sarah Davies, Clerk Assistant and Managing Director of Chamber & Committees 
• Mandy Eddolls, Managing Director of HR and Diversity 
• Eric Hepburn, Director of Security for Parliament 
• Tracey Jessup, Chief Information Officer and Managing Director of the Parliamentary Digital Service  
• Edge Watchorn, Acting Managing Director of Participation 

Apologies: 

• Marianne Cwynarski, Head of Governance and Central Services and Secretary to the Commission 
• Rhiannon Hollis, Secretary to the Commons Executive Board 
• Penny Young, Librarian and Managing Director of Research & Information 

In attendance:  

• Carl Akintola-Davies, Head of Learning & Organisation Development [item 6] 
• Dominic Bransden, Head of Accommodation and Demand Strategy [item 7] 
• Daniel Cook, Director of Programmes and Development [item 8] 
• Julie Harding, Independent Director of Cultural Transformation [item 4] 
• Clare Jennings, Director of Communications     
• Bryn Morgan, Director of Research Development (representing Penny Young) 
• William Newing, Business Change Manager 
• John Pelton, Programme Director (representing Strategic Estates) 
• Patsy Richards, Moves Director 
• Richard Tapner-Evans, Director of Catering [item 3] 
• James Turner, Director of Customer Service and Service Delivery (representing In-House Services) 
• Katharine Williams, Governance and Compliance Manager

Meeting 

1. Updates 

The Commons Executive Board noted the following updates:  

• Actions arising from its previous meetings, meetings of the domestic committees and the work of its sub groups. 
• Political developments: Recess dates had been set. Three Deputy Speakers had been elected and elections for Committee Chairs would begin soon.  
• Cyber security: teams were reminded to inform Digital about planned travel to the Middle East. 

2. Culture reflection 

The Commons Executive Board continued its agreed practice of reflecting on culture and behaviour before moving onto items of business. 

3. Allergens in catering 

The Commons Executive Board was given assurance that the House of Commons Catering Service was fully compliant with all current legislation and underwent regular internal and external audit. The Catering Service was also taking steps to improve its standards further, which would be in line with new legislation that would come into force in October 2021.  

Actions being implemented were: 

• A trial, starting in Bellamy’s in January 2020, of listing all ingredients in prepackaged food, highlighting allergens and intolerances. This would be challenging due to the high number of ingredients to display, but would be required by the new legislation. 
• New signage on every customer touchpoint encouraging customers with allergies or intolerances to speak to staff for advice. This was the approach the industry was adopting as best practice. 
• The Chef would conduct a spotcheck of allergen information on products as part of the daily walkaround, beginning in January 2020. 
• The mystery shopper would ask allergen questions as a customer. 

• Catering Service staff would attend a forum of industry experts in February 2020 to ensure they remained in line with current best practice. 
• Regular mandatory training for staff on allergens and intolerances was in place. This would mitigate the risk that variations in dishes across venues and day-to-day might introduce allergens where they were not expected, while also trusting staff and giving them the freedom to be creative with recipes. 

The Board noted that regrettably and despite very best efforts there would always be some risk and therefore it was important not to give customers a false sense of security.  

The Board agreed that the Parliamentary Safety Assurance Board should monitor this work. 

4. Cultural Transformation handover 

The Commons Executive Board noted the Independent Director’s reflections on progress and achievements over year one of the programme, considered issues, challenges and opportunities going forward and agreed the Board’s role in leading, governing and embedding the Programme. In particular the Board noted that plans for the measurement and monitoring of progress had been agreed and would be put in place over the next months, to include a ‘Culture Dashboard’ of metrics. The Board took advice from the Independent Director on how to succeed in its role and asked the Cultural Transformation team to put together recommendations on what the Board should aim to do in 2020. 

5. Stress survey 

The Commons Executive Board noted and discussed the high-level findings of the Wellbeing and Stress Survey of House of Commons and Parliamentary Digital Service staff that took place Oct-Nov 2019. The results indicated that non-desk-based staff and staff with disabilities were particularly affected and the Board agreed to focus its attention on these groups. The Board also agreed a communications plan.   

6. Learning and Organisation Development 

• Leadership development proposal - update 

The Commons Executive Board considered and approved an updated proposal for an approach to developing leaders in the House of Commons and Parliamentary Digital Service. The Board agreed that Managing Directors would each nominate five members of their team to form the initial cohort, based on the context set out in the paper, and that subsequently People Boards would play a key role in selection as part of succession planning work. The Board noted that the cohort should be made up of leaders in both operational and policy areas to reflect the organisation, and that the selection criteria and process must facilitate this. 

• Coach and Focus 

The Commons Executive Board noted an update on progress with the trial and considered a proposal for rolling out the approach to all House of Commons and PDS staff, including SCS. The rollout would be timed to suit teams with the first starting in April 2020. The trial showed that Coach & Focus was widely perceived as an excellent programme, more popular and more aligned to the values than the IPR. The Board was assured that poor performance management would work in the same way under the new system and be no less effective; HR’s focus would be on supporting managers to understand and cope with the process. Conversely, HR were reflecting on how top performers would be recognised and rewarded. The Board supported the proposal but asked the team to clarify the approach to sharing Manager Insight feedback. 

To encourage all staff to engage with the values the Board agreed that staff should be asked to focus on one value per season from April 2020, whether they were using Coach & Focus or the IPR.  

7. Update on the Moves Programme and accommodation for Members during the Northern Estate Programme 

The Commons Executive Board noted and endorsed the paper. 

8. Parliament’s website 

The Commons Executive Board noted a presentation on the upgraded website, which was much improved, and thanked all the teams involved. The upgraded website would be more accessible and mobile-responsive, and as such public use of the website was likely to increase. It would be important to keep on top of updates going forwards, which required ongoing investment.  

9. Communications transformation update and next steps 

The Commons Executive Board noted an update on the Communications Transformation programme, observed that the transformation to date had been very positive and well received and thanked everyone involved for their work. As such the Board agreed that the communication function should continue to evolve and fill ‘empty spaces’ such as its brand as an employer. The Board endorsed the priorities and proposal set out in the paper, while noting that further investment would need to be considered in the context of strategic and digital prioritisation. 

10. Commons Executive Board 

The Commons Executive Board noted the activities taking place on strategy implementation between January and March. A briefing on the year ahead regarding the administration of the Board and its terms of reference was postponed. The Board noted that the large volume of papers for each meeting was excessive given the timing of circulation and asked the secretariat to review its approach. 

11. Pay gap reporting 

The Commons Executive Board noted the latest pay gap figures, that both gender and ethnicity pay gaps would be reported, and next steps. 

12. Joint Working Group on Palace strategic steers 

The Commons Executive Board noted an update on the progress the Joint Working Group had made to address the strategic steers questions set out in Liz Peace’s letter to Ian Ailles and Ed Ollard in July 2019, and the proposed format of the response. 

13. Internal Audit report: cyber security strategic planning 

The Commons Executive Board noted the report. 

14. Performance reports 

The Commons Executive Board noted the latest financial monitoring report, performance report and portfolio performance report. 

15. Update on Elizabeth Tower Refurbishment Project 

The Commons Executive Board noted a paper updating the Commission on the Elizabeth Tower Refurbishment Project.