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Arriving at Parliament as a new Member is a daunting experience and a tough test for many. For some it is an alien working environment which is disorientating and can be difficult. Not only is there a new job to get to grips with but a vast amount of information to absorb, formal procedures to master and an Estate to navigate. There is also the expectation that a new Member can start work straight away on the Monday after a Thursday polling day. In our experience this is unrealistic. We cannot expect new Members to be up and running quickly without properly equipping them first. It is therefore important that Members are provided with as much support as possible to enable them to make an effective early contribution to the parliamentary process and ensure constituents receive an uninterrupted service.
This Report reviews how the House Service, the Parliamentary Information and Communications Technology department, the Accommodation Whips and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) responded to the challenges posed by the large change of membership that took place after the general election of 2010. More importantly this Report looks to the future—applying the lessons we can all learn from those experiences in 2010 to improve the provision of accommodation, staff, IT equipment, training and induction services for the new Members of 2015.
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