Decisions 14 November 2005
Monday 14 November 2005 at 5pm in Speaker's House
Present:
The Speaker, in the Chair
Sir Stuart Bell
Chris Grayling
Nick Harvey
Leader of the House
Mr David Maclean
1. POSTAL EXPENDITURE BY MEMBERS
The Commission referred the matter of Members' expenditure on postage falling on the Administration Estimate to the Administration Committee for its advice.
2. PRESS GALLERY REFURBISHMENT
The Commission endorsed the unease felt by the Finance and Services Committee at proceeding with the major programme of refurbishment of the Press Gallery accommodation and catering in the absence of a clearer idea of the appropriate scale and nature of the provision which the House wished to make in the longer term for print and electronic media: and invited the Committee to look further into this and to make clear to the Gallery the importance attached by the Commission to the space being used for the purposes of parliamentary reporting and its willingness to look at how best the refurbished space could be used.
The Commission agreed that the agreed programme of works should not be interrupted by these inquiries.
3. MEDIA ADVICE
Mike Granatt was re-appointed as Media Adviser, up to Easter 2007.
4. FUTURE MEETING DATES
The Commission agreed to meet on 27 February 2006 and 27 March 2006 in place of its previously agreed dates of 20 February 2006 and 20 March 2006.