PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Divisions: Technology (15 July 2015)

To ask the Rt. Hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, how much has been spent on electronic upgrades to the recording of divisions in the House in each of the last two financial years.

Asked by:
Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party)

Accurate recording of divisions and timely publication of division lists are critical business activities of the House of Commons.

The House Service has been investigating means of electronic recording of divisions since October 2014, with a view to improving the timely publication of division lists, making division data more accessible to the public and easier to analyse, and improving accuracy. The House of Lords recently moved to recording divisions on tablet devices.

A trial was held in the House in March 2015 in which seven divisions were recorded in part by division clerks on tablet devices.

Full implementation of tablet recording of divisions is expected to take place later in the current Session. This change had been planned before the announcement of the Government’s proposals for English votes for English laws, although the use of tablets would make it easier and quicker to provide the results of divisions taken under the proposed ‘double-majority’ system.

In 2013/14 the amount spent on electronic upgrades to the recording of divisions was zero.

In 2014/15, the amount spent on electronic upgrades to the recording of divisions was £9,900. This included £5,000 for the cost of developing software and £4,900 for purchasing the tablet devices referred to above.

The work on the project is not yet complete, but the total amount spent to date in 2015/16 is £6,700. This includes £5,000 for purchasing tablet devices and £1,700 to modify the software to enable the tablets to provide the results of divisions taken under the proposed ‘double-majority’ system.

Answered by:
Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat)
20 July 2015