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UK Parliament

17 December 2020

Decisions of the Commons Executive Board meeting, 17 December 2020.

Attendees        

Those present:           

  • Mostaque Ahmed, Finance Director and Managing Director, Finance, Portfolio and Performance 
  • Ian Ailles, Director General of the House of Commons
  • John Benger, Clerk of the House (Chair) 
  • Isabel Coman, Managing Director of In-House Services and Estates
  • Marianne Cwynarski, Acting Managing Director of Governance and Strategic Business Resilience 
  • Sarah Davies, Clerk Assistant and Managing Director of Chamber & Committees 
  • Mandy Eddolls, Managing Director of HR and Diversity 
  • Alison Giles, Director of Security for Parliament
  • Tom Goldsmith, Clerk of Committees                                                                                                 
  • Tracey Jessup, Chief Digital and Information Officer
  • Saira Salimi, Speaker’s Counsel
  • Edge Watchorn, Acting Managing Director of Participation 
  • Penny Young, Librarian and Managing Director of Research & Information 

In attendance:  

  • Claire Harvey, Head of Diversity and Inclusion
  • Clare Jennings, Director of Communications     
  • Markos Koumaditis, Human Resources Director
  • Ian Meekums, ParliCARE
  • Will Newing, Business Change Manager
  • Tim Parkin, Programme Manager, Strategic Estates
  • Sarah Petit, Director of Cultural Transformation
  • Patsy Richards, Decant Director
  • Tristan Stubbs, ParliCARE
  • Tracey West, ParliABLE
  • Katharine Williams, Governance Manager and Secretary to the Commons Executive Board

Meeting

  1. Monthly updates

Parliamentary business

The CEB took note of an update from the Clerk Assistant and the Clerk of Committees.

Finance

The CEB took note of an update from the Director of Finance. 

Security

The CEB took note of an update from the Director of Security for Parliament and the Chief Digital and Information Officer.

Major projects

The CEB took note of an update from the Managing Director of In-House Services and Estates

Sub-boards

The CEB took note of an update from the Acting Managing Director of the Governance Office.

  1. Quarterly theme: People

Report from the Diversity & Inclusion Steering Group

The CEB took note of a report on the work of the Diversity & Inclusion Steering Group.

Hearing from Workplace Equality Networks

The CEB took note of feedback from ParliABLE and ParliCARE on their members’ experience of current working arrangements and sought advice on future engagement.

  • Update from Diversity and Inclusion

The CEB took note of an update from the Head of Diversity and Inclusion.

Strategic position on working arrangements and moves

The CEB agreed the working principles subject to slight rewording to increase the emphasis on the importance of meeting business needs.

The CEB considered the questions set out in the paper and agreed to having an 18-month trial period for HR flexible and remote working agreements as a prelude to understanding and planning for an enhanced range of contractual working practices in the future.

The CEB noted and endorsed the range of activities being undertaken and provided the nominated leads for those activities with a clear mandate to move ahead.

  • Re-imagining the workplace

The CEB endorsed the proposed course of action in relation to 64 Victoria Street.

  • Benchmarking - post-pandemic ways of working

The CEB noted the paper.

  • Workplace standards – the home and office offer

The CEB noted the paper.

  • FAQs – changing how we work

The CEB noted the paper.

Cultural transformation quarterly update

The CEB noted a verbal summary of feedback its members had provided to the Cultural Transformation Director on

  • the revised measures defining the desired outcomes for the cultural transformation programme as it moved into the second year of implementation;  
  • the proposed priorities for years 2 and 3; and
  • future plans for the Voice Champion network. 

The CEB also noted the quarterly update reported in the paper and dashboard provided.

Reward strategy

The CEB considered a paper on reward strategy, agreed to the reward principles and the activities listed and agreed its support for the pay option recommended in the paper.

  1. Reflections, updates and AOB

Culture reflection

The Clerk of the House led a reflection on culture and values. The Clerk thanked CEB members and their teams for their hard work over what had been a very challenging year.

Board membership changes

The CEB welcomed to the board the new Director of Security for Parliament, Alison Giles. The CEB noted that Colin Lee would replace Tom Goldsmith on the board from January 2021. The CEB thanked Tom Goldsmith for his work.

  1. Take note papers

The CEB took note of the following papers:

  1. CEB decision and action log / minutes
  2. Reports from the Commission, Administration Committee and Finance Committee
  3. Sub-board agendas and minutes
  4. Portfolio performance report summary
  5. Internal audit report: Governance
  6. CEB response to the draft R&R Strategic Review report
  7. Diversity and Inclusion standards for boards and groups
  8. Defining the New Normal, AECOM report commissioned for the Moves Programme, 9 November 2020
  9. Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit: Virtual hybrid tracker (to November 2020)

5. By correspondence

The CEB took the following papers by correspondence in advance of this meeting:

Strategic Review of the Restoration and Renewal Programme - draft report

The CEB noted the draft report.

Responses to questions arising from Transforming Digital discussion at the Commons Executive Board meeting 26 November

The CEB noted the responses.