Written question asked by Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 25 June 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 July 2026. It was answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Non-affiliated) on Thursday, 9 July 2026 on behalf of the Senior Deputy Speaker (HL).

House of Lords: Cleaning Services

Question: To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker why the House of Lords decided to outsource the provision of cleaning services; and what discussions have been had with the contractors who now provide these services over the numbers of cleaners made redundant since the start of 2026, and the reasons for these redundancies.

Answer: The contract with Churchill Cleaning is jointly held with the House of Commons. Parliament has outsourced the majority of its cleaning services for more than 15 years for operational efficiency and financial reasons. It is for our contractor to explain the reasons for its employment decisions. However, the House Administrations have made clear their concerns to Churchill Cleaning about the pace and scale of the proposed changes and have received assurances regarding continued delivery to contractual standards. Our cleaners are highly valued members of our community and we are emphasising this to Churchill Cleaning in our discussions with them.

Secondary information