Government sources, and it is made very clear to them in our brochures that it is their responsibility to lock valuables away and to cover their belongings with their own insurance. We looked at the possibility of trying to provide blanket insurance cover for these, but were not able to proceed as it would have been so expensive.
Fire is a very key matter in our minds as after all the original Palace of Westminster was destroyed by one in 1834! We have a Fire Officer with a small Fire Section of about 9 firemen and they operate under the Head of Security. Unlike the police they are especially recruited for their duties here. We have a fairly active liaison with the London Fire Brigade and from time to time fire exercises take place both in areas of the Palace of Westminster and in the out-buildings. Evacuation procedures are exercised as realistically as possible when these fire practices take place. There is also an extensive fire alarm and loud speaker system. The latter can be used either in case of fire or any other emergency.
On the subject of the deposit of baggage, Members and Staff are comparatively free to bring things into the building but visitors are not. There are no facilities for the deposit of baggage here and anyone arriving with anything other than a small carrier bag, dispatch case or handbag is sent away. We do however have a place where visitors to the Gallery can leave very small parcels, cameras, brief cases and such like as only small handbags may be taken into the Galleries by visitors.
I mentioned earlier the phrase "Officers of the House" and I should perhaps expand on this a little, before I close. Originally when it was devised many years ago, the phrase covered only the very senior Officers of the House but since the War the numbers have expanded considerably, as the graduate members of staff have increased. There are now just over 100 Officers of the House and in general it covers all staff of the House with a Civil Service linkage of Principal grade; but it also covers graduate entry Clerks and Library Officers. Officers of the House have virtually the same privileges as Members in so far as access is concerned, although of course they cannot go onto the floor of the House when it is sitting and may not use the Members Smoking Room. There is for instance an Officer of the House table in the Members' Dining Room and Officers may use the other Refreshment rooms and entertain in them on the same basis as Members.
I enclose for Li Wing's information a copy of all the brochures which we provide for Members of Parliament and their staffs as some of this might be useful. I should perhaps finally mention that the Serjeant at Arms asks that the above
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