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UK Parliament

30 July 2020

Decisions of the Commons Executive Board meeting, 30 July 2020.

Attendees        

Those present:           

  • Mostaque Ahmed, Finance Director and Managing Director, Finance, Portfolio and Performance 
  • Ian Ailles, Director General of the House of Commons (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 
  • Tracey Jessup, Chief Information Officer and Managing Director of the Parliamentary Digital Service  
  • Edge Watchorn, Acting Managing Director of Participation 
  • Penny Young, Librarian and Managing Director of Research & Information

Apologies:

  • Isabel Coman, Managing Director of In-House Services and Estates
  • Eric Hepburn, Director of Security for Parliament 
  • Rhiannon Hollis, Secretary to the Commons Executive Board 
  • Clare Jennings, Director of Communications

In attendance:  

  • Emily Baldock, Deputy Director of Security (Strategy and Services)
  • Laura Bennett, Portfolio Manager, Parliamentary Digital Service
  • Jennifer Crook, Director of Operations, In-House Services and Estates
  • Marianne Cwynarski, Head of Governance and Central Services and Secretary to the Commission 
  • William Newing, Business Change Manager, Governance and Central Services
  • Alex Noonoo, Deputy Director of Internal Communications
  • Charlotte Simmonds, Restoration & Renewal Director
  • Katharine Williams, Governance and Compliance Manager, Governance and Central Services

Meeting

  1. Updates and culture reflection

The Commons Executive Board noted the following updates:

  • Actions arising from its previous meetings and the work of its sub-groups. 
  • Covid-19 response: the Board was assured that, although when the House returned in September the Estate might feel relatively crowded, limits would be in place as per the advice of Public Health England and likely hotspots for congregation would be closely monitored.
  • Impartiality: the Board noted that impartiality continued to be a contentious issue and that the House Service had to remain politically impartial while as an employer it sought to champion principles of inclusivity. The Board noted that it had commissioned work to explore this matter and the wider context, and find a way forwards.
  1. Internal audit items
  • Value for money efficiencies

Having noted this paper at its previous meeting, the Commons Executive Board took time to discuss the audit report and heard a summary of related points from the latest Steering Group meeting. The Board agreed that the efficiencies programme had not had a lasting impact on the organisation in terms of embedding a drive to seek value for money, and that this needed to be achieved through a very clear framework of financial targets and top-down direction, supported by much improved data. This data should map the costs of activities end-to-end, capturing the impacts on other teams and services, and be able to identify discrete roles that might cover more than one function rather than only show person-hours per activity.

  • Broadcast and security networks

The Commons Executive Board noted and discussed the audit report and management response and asked to be updated on progress by the end of December.

  1. Update from Digital Strategy Board

The Commons Executive Board noted papers and accompanying slides approved by the Digital Strategy Board which indicated where resources would be deployed by PDS for the rest of the current year and how resources would be deployed for the next financial year, demonstrating how the Digital team had engaged with the needs of both Houses. The Board also heard that over the summer the Digital team would design a more flexible way to remobilise projects placed on hold so that this could be done more quickly, taking advantage of any freed capacity.

The Board raised a challenge that the prioritisation output did not meet some of Members’ most pressing needs, such as improving the Wi-Fi and intranet, but in the course of discussion agreed to support the plans up until March 2021 and to focus on how the Board would review the process for prioritising work in the next period and onwards, with input from the Customer Team.

The Board acknowledged that prioritisation was a very difficult task and thanked colleagues in the Digital Team for their hard work.

  1. Update on R&R review

The Commons Executive Board noted a verbal update on the progress of the review and a short paper summarising and collating responses to the review so far; the call for contributions was due to close on 7 August. Representatives of the Sponsor Body were invited to attend but had no update to give at this stage.

  1. Update on second survey on Covid impacts

The Commons Executive Board noted that the second survey was planned for September; a draft had been circulated to the Board and subject to any feedback would be shared with the Trade Unions. The Board discussed what would be done to reach non-desk-based staff and gave some feedback on content. The Board noted that the results of this and the previous survey would be used to inform the accommodation strategy.

  1. Modern slavery

The Commons Executive Board noted a paper on modern slavery in the supply chain which set out what safeguards were being put in place at Parliament. An update would follow in September which would include a modern slavery policy for the Board to agree. The Board agreed that the policy paper should also go to the Commission. The Board also noted that while the work on modern slavery sat within In-House Services and Estates, because this team carried the most risk, the policy would apply to all teams.

  1. Annual HR report

The Commons Executive Board noted the information provided and the work of the HR and Diversity Team, and that the report would be published on the intranet and the external website (as part of the House’s proactive publication scheme) and a copy would be shared with the Trade Unions.

  1. Minutes of the Restoration & Renewal Sponsor Body Board

The Commons Executive Board noted the minutes of the 22 June meeting.

  1. Chair of the Commons Executive Board

This was Ian Ailles’ last meeting as Chair of the Board as this role would pass to the Clerk of the House of Commons in September. The Clerk thanked Ian Ailles for his hard work in the role since 2015, which was warmly endorsed by the Board.

  1. Culture reflection

The Commons Executive Board reflected on culture and behaviour, including its performance as a board over the course of the meeting.