Written evidence submitted by Parliamentary
Press Gallery
The Parliamentary Press Gallery welcomes the Administration
Committee's review of catering and retail services in the House
of Commons.
ACCESS
Whilst recognising the need of Members for a degree
of privacy when dining, we believe that more open access to the
various catering areas within the House of Commons is desirable.
Our own experiences are a case in point.
Having historically been reserved for members of
the Press Gallery and their guests only, our own catering facilities
were opened to all pass holders after a major refurbishment in
2006-07. Whilst it is true to say that some of our colleagues
had reservations initially, our experience has been positive.
We have not noticed any detrimental impact on our need for quick,
well cooked meals on a day-to-day basis; Moncrieff's has become
a popular venue but at the same time continues to be available
to us to hold regular events such as our monthly lunches. In addition,
we understand that it has had a wider impact in helping to ease
the load on the Terrace Cafeteria and Portcullis House at busy
times and when renovations necessitated the closure of other facilities
(eg the Terrace Cafeteria in the summer of 2009). The increased
access has also helped to de-mystify a hitherto rather unknown
area of the Palace—which can only be a good thing.
The House is attempting to reduce the costs of catering
in the current year and beyond and has recently introduced significant
price increases in some areas. In the circumstances the economic
argument for opening more facilities to more pass holders must
be incontrovertible. It is surely incompatible with the objective
of reducing costs and maximising income to restrict access to
certain facilities for some or all of the time that the House
is sitting—effectively turning away income and leaving facilities
under-used and staff idle.
Our own experience with the Churchill Room illustrates
the point. During the closure of our dining facilities during
the refurbishment in 2007 we were temporarily granted limited
access to the Churchill Room. Last year, having made the case
that the lack of any evening dining facilities in the Press Gallery
was having a detrimental effect on the use of Moncrieff's bar,
we were also granted access on Monday and Tuesday evenings, although
this arrangement ended at the election. Colleagues using the Churchill
Room at these times often found that it was seriously under-used
and that on some occasions they were the only people dining.
The Churchill Room was very popular with members
of the Press Gallery, who would readily use it again were it to
be open to them.
We also welcome the recent extension of access to
the Terrace on non-sitting Fridays and during Parliamentary recesses.
There seems little doubt that the change in the hours
of the House has had the effect of changing the pattern of use
of catering facilities across the Palace, and in particular of
decreasing take-up in the evenings. Taken with the need to reduce
costs and increase income, and the drive to make Parliament a
more open and inclusive place, it seems logical to lift access
restrictions such as those on the Churchill Room and Adjournment
and open them up to a larger body of people.
We would therefore suggest to the Committee that
it gives consideration to opening, for example, the Churchill
Room and the Adjournment to all pass holders at all times and
that the restrictions on certain seating areas within other facilities
(eg the Atrium in Portcullis House) be removed.
We would also ask that the Committee publish a clear
set of rules for access and that they be consistently applied.
NEEDS
The needs of the various groups using the Commons
catering outlets will necessarily vary, but undoubtedly there
is a need across the board for the quick and efficient service
of well cooked food from early morning until well into the evening.
In addition there is a need for "grab and go" service
and for places serving refreshments that can be used for informal
meetings or for wi-fi access. The popularity of the Despatch Box
and atrium areas in Portcullis House proves the point.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
LORDS AND
COMMONS CATERING
SERVICES
We have no strong views on the relationship between
the House of Lords and the House of Commons catering services
other than to suggest that there must at least be potential for
closer collaboration to result in savings for both Houses.
October 2010
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