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Members' Handbook Members’ Handbook June 2017 Welcome to the Members’ Handbook, which Members’ introduces you to the key services and facilities provided by the House to help you as a Member of Handbook Parliament. We have produced a separate guide for your staff. This document also outlines your responsibilities, such as following the standards in the Members’ Code of Conduct and the House’s Respect and ICT Acceptable Use Policies, which are set out from p14. Staff across the House Service and Parliamentary Digital Service are here to support you and your staff. Please take some time to read this handbook, as it will guide you to services that will help you in your job. If you are unclear whether something is available, please ask. This guide, and further information on all topics, can be found on the intranet: intranet.parliament.uk/ commons-members-handbook Contact information is given throughout, with a summary on p9. CONTENTS Key contacts 9 Equipment provided by the House Service 46 Event safety 46 Essentials – Everyone’s responsibility 10 Visitor safety 46 Rules you must observe 14 Safety advice 46 Health and safety away from Parliament 46 Use of parliamentary resources 14 Asbestos 47 Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament 15 Fire safety and emergency evacuation 47 Respect Policy 20 Safeguarding policy Accomodation 52 (children and vulnerable adults) 21 Office accommodation – permanent Statement on what Members can expect from accommodation 52 the House Service, and on what is expected in return 21 ICT Acceptable Use Policy for Members of the Services and equipment 56 House of Commons and your staff 23 ICT 56 Access to the Estate 28 Other services 60 Access regulations 28 Finance 64 Information for Members with disabilities 29 Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) 64 Security 34 Your salary and expenses 64 Pensions 64 Passes 34 Personal catering and retail accounts 65 Security clearance for Members’ staff 35 Travel 65 Cyber security 35 Insurances 66 Personal safety 38 Death of a Member 67 Security 38 Emergencies 40 Employment of staff 70 Health and safety 44 Members’ HR Advice Service 70 Employee Assistance Programme 71 Health and safety at Parliament 44 Security clearance for Members’ staff 71 Accidents, injuries or medical emergencies 45 Pensions 71 Parliamentary buildings and Estate operations 46 Legislation 71 Westminster Gym 98 Staff training 72 Hairdressing salon 98 Constituency events 73 Retail and shops 99 Death of a member of staff 73 Chapel and Chaplain 99 Chamber services 76 Smoking and use of e-cigarettes 99 Photography, filming, radio and drawing 100 Procedural Hub 76 Medical facilities 103 Members’ professional development (MPD) 79 Hansard reporting 79 Building work on the Estate 106 Select committees 81 Northern Estate 106 Information services 84 Palace of Westminster 107 House of Commons Library 84 Room bookings, events and exhibitions 110 Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) 85 Room bookings 110 National Audit Office (NAO) 86 Food and drink for meetings 111 Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman 86 Exhibitions 111 Sources of information for constituents 87 Performance events 113 Parliamentary Archives 88 House of Commons venue hire 113 Freedom of information, data protection and environmental information regulations requests 89 Visitors and guests 116 Information Commissioner 91 Access arrangements for spouses or partners 116 Visitors to Parliament 116 Facilities 94 Access to the Terrace 117 Education Service 117 Catering services 94 Democratic Access Tours of Parliament (Members’ Tours) 118 Members’ showers and changing rooms 96 Outreach and Engagement Service 118 Members’ cloakroom and lockers 97 Public Gallery 119 Families and children 97 Nursery 97 Appendices 122 Lost property 98 Appendix I – Key contacts 122 Cash machines 98 Appendix II – Maps 125 9 Key contacts (See also full list of contacts at Appendix I.) All four-digit extensions should be prefixed 020 7219 if dialled from the constituency or outside the Parliamentary Estate. Switchboard x3000, Switchboard supervisor x6161 Security x3333 in an emergency, or 999 if off the Estate Security x5311 non-emergencies Parliamentary Security Department x2244 [email protected] Procedural Hub x7333 Library x3666 Digital Support Desk x2001 [email protected] Parliamentary Maintenance Services Team (maintenance and cleaning) x4747 Accommodation and Logistics (Westminster offices) x1319 [email protected] Members’ HR Advice Service x2080 [email protected] Serjeant at Arms (e.g. access rules) x3030 [email protected] Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) 020 7811 6400 [email protected] We welcome feedback, so please visit www.parliament. uk/feedback to read our policy or share your compliments, complaints and comments. You can also email us directly at [email protected]. 10 11 Essentials – Everyone’s responsibility 1. Familiarise yourself with the rules on passes and security – always 4. There are certain places where you can find peace and quiet, wear your pass inside the Parliamentary Estate, but remember to for example, the Library is a great place to sit and work, commission take it off outside. House staff have been asked to challenge people research or check facts. Find the Members’ Library near the not wearing their passes and we hope you will do so too. Chamber or ring x3666 to book an introduction. The Library has wi-fi throughout and is private to Members. There is a separate 2. Complete your mandatory fire safety training and ensure your staff Library in Derby Gate for your staff. do too. This and other training from the House is listed on our learning management system, Act (parliament.learningpool.com). 5. Face-to-face Security and IT help is available at the Drop-In at the top of the escalators in Portcullis House. Top eight tips 6. For advice on any aspect of procedure speak to the Clerks in the 1. House staff are not civil servants but are employed by the House Chamber or in the Procedural Hub in the Members’ Centre in of Commons Commission. They are here to help you be effective, Portcullis House, or call x7333. are politically impartial and are proud to support a thriving parliamentary democracy. Please ask them if you need any help. 7. We have complex access rules. For on-the-spot help ask the Doorkeepers or security staff. 2. Ask us or skim this guide before procuring services yourself, because we may provide more services than you expect – insurance, travel, 8. Book your staff onto one of our Westminster or regional research, a nursery, HR advice. We are always trying to improve and constituency events so they can learn about our services and develop these services, so even if you are a returning Member you network with other House and Members’ staff in a non-political may not have up-to-date information. environment. 3. Advice on employing staff is available from the Members’ HR Advice Service, but IPSA provides model contracts, pays your staff, and sets the rules around expenses, so make sure you make contact with your IPSA Account Manager to discuss any of these issues. 12 13 RULES YOU MUST OBSERVE Use of parliamentary resources 14 Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament 15 Respect Policy 20 Safeguarding Policy (Children and vunerable adults) 21 Statement of what Members can expect from the House Service, and on what is expected in return 21 ICT Acceptable Use Policy for Members of the House of Commons and your staff 23 14 15 Rules you must observe You must never undertake any action which would cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of This section of the handbook sets out the mandatory the House of Commons as a whole, or of its standards with which you must comply as a Member Members generally. of Parliament. You are personally responsible for familiarising yourself with Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament and adhering to the Members’ Code of Conduct, including The Members’ Code of Conduct has been agreed by the when breaches may have been caused by the actions of House of Commons and establishes the standards and your staff. principles of conduct expected from all Members. You should also make yourself familiar with the Statement Prepared pursuant to the Resolution of the House of 19 on what Members can expect from the House Service, and July 1995. on what is expected in return (p20). I. Purpose of the Code Use of parliamentary resources 1. The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to assist all Members in the discharge of their obligations to the The House provides various facilities and services to House, their constituents and the public at large by: Members, the cost of which is either met in full or subsidised by public funds. These include, but are not limited to: a. establishing the standards and principles of conduct expected of all Members in undertaking their duties; Accommodation, including offices and meeting rooms b. setting the rules of conduct which underpin these standards and principles and to which all Members Stationery and postage must adhere; and in so doing Research support c. ensuring public confidence in the standards expected of all Members and in the commitment of the House to Computer equipment and services upholding these rules. Catering facilities. II. Scope of the Code 2. The Code applies to Members in all aspects of their public You are personally responsible and accountable for ensuring life. It does not seek to regulate what Members do in their that your use of any expenses, allowances, facilities and private and personal lives. services provided from the public purse is in accordance with the rules. 3. The obligations set out in this Code are complementary to those which apply to all Members by virtue of the You must ensure that your use of public resources is always procedural and other rules of the House and the rulings in support of your parliamentary duties.
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