About the House of Commons

The House of Commons Commission has four core tasks which are:

Supporting the House and its Committees
Supporting individual Members and their staff
Providing information and access to the public
Maintaining the heritage of the buildings, objects and documents

Our values

The House of Commons Service seeks to achieve high ethical standards, value for money and professional excellence in all that it does. As an employer, the House of Commons Commission recognises and values the diversity of its staff and is committed to fairness and best practice.

As an employer we value integrity, professionalism, teamwork, recognition and commitment.

Our Benefits

28 days annual leave (increasing up to 40 days with continuous service)
Choice of defined benefits pension scheme or defined contributions scheme
Excellent maternity, paternity, adoption and sickness benefits
As a recognised Investors in People (IiP) organisation we offer excellent training and development opportunities
Interest free season ticket or bicycle loan
Wide range of on-site refreshment facilities
Childcare voucher scheme
Membership of an in-house gym on payment of a small fee
Eye care vouchers

The House of Commons Service

The House of Commons Service supports the House and its MPs in performing their parliamentary duties, and provides public access and information to help increase understanding of the role of Parliament.

We work for Parliament rather than the Government, so employees are not civil servants – but our terms and conditions are very similar. We employ around 1700 staff across four departments, each providing its own specialist advice and resources. We are all passionate about our work, and we seek out talented individuals who share our enthusiasm and can bring the skills and experience we need to help us provide the best possible services.

Our staff work in a range of different roles and at all levels. But no matter where you find yourself or what you’re doing, you will be working in a stimulating and unique environment at the very heart of democracy in the United Kingdom.

About the House of Commons Service

The House of Commons Service is divided into four departments:

Chamber and Committee Services
Facilities
Information Services
Resources

There is also a small Office of the Chief Executive, and the separate Parliamentary Information and Communications Technology Department (PICT), which also works for the House of Lords.

Each department provides specific services to MPs, their staff and the public. The Management Board oversees the House Service and is comprised of the Director General of each department and chaired by the Clerk of the House. The service is ultimately accountable to the Speaker and the House of Commons Commission.

The Department of Chamber and Committee Services supports the business of the House and its committees. Three directorates provide procedural advice and secretariat services to the House, the Speaker and the Deputy Speakers, to the committees appointed by the House, and to individual MPs. The department also reports the proceedings of the House and committees (Hansard) and is responsible for ceremonial and security services (Serjeant at Arms).

The Department of Facilities manages the Parliamentary Estate and provides a safe and functioning environment for everyone working in or visiting Parliament. This includes long term estate planning, the provision of expert advice on the preservation of the Palace of Westminster as a World Heritage Site, planning and delivery of maintenance work, placing contracts and management of capital projects. The department also manages all office accommodation, cleaning, mail delivery and room bookings. The Catering and Retail Services arm of the department provides meals, refreshments and banqueting services and manages the souvenir kiosks.

The Department of Information Services provides research, analysis, library and information services for the House of Commons. Its main responsibility is to serve MPs and their staff; it also provides public information services including outreach, parliamentary education and visitor services, media and communications and online services. The office of the Curator of Works of Art is also based here.

The Department of Resources provides a range of professional and administrative services to the House of Commons. These include financial and HR services to MPs and their staff, covering pay, pensions, and allowances as well as HR, finance and other business services to staff of the House. The department also provides leadership in the corporate development of organisational capability in the areas of finance, human resources, and procurement.

The Office of the Chief Executive supports the Clerk of the House in his role as Chief Executive, Accounting Officer and Corporate Officer, and the Management Board in its strategic leadership of the House of Commons Service. Its aim is to contribute to the provision of a high quality service to MPs, their staff and the public, by co-ordinating strategic planning, performance management and communications across the House Service and providing assurance to the Chief Executive about the effectiveness of internal controls and risk management.

The House of Lords
The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. It plays an important part in revising legislation and scrutinising Government. Members of the Lords are unelected, unpaid, and have a wide range of experience and independent expertise.

The House of Lords is a separate employer, with over 430 staff employed across 13 offices, largely mirroring the range of activities in the Commons. Some deal with the business of the House, including the Legislation Committees Offices and Hansard. Others, such as Human Resources, Finance, Library and the Information Office, work in support of the House. Black Rod’s Office provides ceremonial and security services for the House of Lords. The Department of Facilities provides Refreshment and accommodation services. The Refreshment Department provides catering services and manages the souvenir kiosk

Parliamentary Information and Communications Technology (PICT)

PICT works for Parliament as the provider of ICT services, and as a business partner working with the administrations of both Houses to build infrastructure and systems which enable Parliament to work effectively and engage with the public. PICT has combined expert knowledge and skills from both Houses, covering disciplines such as IT, Project Management, Business Analysis and Change Management. It aims to achieve world class standards in the delivery, support and exploitation of ICT in Parliament

FURTHER INFORMATION:

The accompanying booklet, ‘Applying to the House of Commons’, can be downloaded from this recruitment site from the opportunities page, and provides you guidance to help you complete your application form

For general enquires about your application, or to give us feedback on this booklet or any other aspect of the recruitment please contact recruitment@parliament.uk

You can find out more about the work, role and history of Parliament at www.parliament.uk