House of Commons Commission[...]
Security
Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much was spent on security in the Palace of Westminster in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [192541]
Nick Harvey: The resource cost of security for the whole of the parliamentary estate is only available from 2001-02 following the introduction of resource accounting in that year. The figures are:
Cost (£000) Commons Lords Total 2001-02 12,896 5,913 18,809 2002-03 15,319 6,928 22,247 2003-04 16,655 7,511 24,166 2004-05 18,110 8,122 26,232 2005-06 19,917 9,112 29,029 2006-07 20,292 9,313 29,605 Costs are shared between the two Houses.
In addition, there has been cash expenditure on a number of security related projects as follows:In addition, there has been cash expenditure on a number of security related projects as follows:
Cost (£000) 2001-02 199 2002-03 1,961 2003-04 1,201 2004-05 1,304 2005-06 3,719 2006-07 8,172
What exactly are they spending over £30,000 per annum for each of the 650 Members of the House of Commons (without counting the security related project costs) on ?
N.B. None of these figures includes the cost of the Metropolitan Police Service protection of the people and buildings.
What sort of signal about our freedoms and liberties does the increasingly unfriendly and inaccessible to the public "HMP Westminster", and the SOCPA Designated Area restrictions on peacful protest around Parliament Square, give to the world ?
It shows weakness, and just how out of touch the "Westminster Village" is from the real world.
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