Tributes

Announcement

My Lords, as we move towards the Recess, we should take time to pay tribute to members of staff who are leaving your Lordships’ House after periods of long and exemplary service. It goes without saying that we in the usual channels, and noble Lords from across the House, are in debt to staff of all grades and tenure for keeping this workplace functioning. Every year, they wrestle with new challenges. We are thankful for their support.

Having said that, as is traditional, I also want to take the opportunity to start tributes to individuals who have retired from their duties this year. My eyes turn first to the marshalled forces that guard this great Chamber. I have the privilege of first commending Karen Bridgman, who has served as a doorkeeper for over 10 years. When Karen left on 30 November 2023, she left an imprint of kindness and generosity on the doorkeepers’ team. Karen was proactive and she sought to fix a problem before it burdened the team. Her colleagues praised her pleasant attitude and the time she made available for everyone who came across her path. These characteristics, when twinned together, made her into an incomparable doorkeeper and friend. The truest compliments are those that are said about you in your absence. The mark that Karen has left in this House continues to be felt and voiced by those who worked closest with her.

I now turn to Tim Banting, who retired this year from the Parliamentary Archives team. Tim joined the archives in 2010, where he became a much-valued member of the heritage photographers’ branch of the office. Tim was renowned for creating high-quality images of archival documents for users of the archives, as well as for exhibitions and other forms of public engagement. He was instrumental in supporting the move from microfilm to digital cameras, and in the modernisation of the digitisation studio. I am told that his passion for photography went beyond his professional capacity. Tim created then and now images of the Palace. One of Tim’s photographs of the Commons Chamber was subsequently shortlisted for the 2018 Historic Photographer of the Year awards. I am sure it was Tim’s ability to crop out the scaffolding boards and construction hoardings from his parliamentary photographs that endeared him to the Administration. After 13 years in this place, Tim will be much missed and we wish him well in his retirement.

Finally, I would like to thank the team in the Government Whips’ Office and colleagues across the usual channels for their support in the last year, and in particular for me personally over the last couple of weeks. As you know, the Whips’ Office serves not just the Front Bench but the entire House. My colleagues and I are grateful for their hard work and I wish them, all the staff of the House and all noble Lords a very merry Christmas.

My Lords, I associate myself with all the remarks made by the noble Earl, the Government Deputy Chief Whip. He has done a very good job in the last couple of weeks, and I want to pay tribute to the Opposition Whips’ Office and the usual channels. We work well together and I always appreciate how we work together during the year in sometimes difficult situations. With courtesy and friendship, we can usually resolve most problems.

It is my privilege to mention two particular people who have served the House well over many years. The first is Stephen Perkins, who joined as the Head of the Catering and Retail Service in the House of Lords eight years ago, bringing with him many years of experience within the catering industry, working for companies within the contract catering sector, notably the Zoological Society of London. One of his first achievements after joining was to successfully deliver the outcomes of the catering change programme. This was a significant body of work, focusing on changes to the catering service, including flexible working patterns for staff and adjustments to the style and types of catering provided, the positive outcome being a catering service that was efficient and effective and that well supported the needs of the House.

During his time with the catering service, Stephen was also responsible for the implementation of the Cater 2020 digital project, delivering technological improvements to the catering operations that benefited both catering staff and users of the service. In more recent times, Stephen ably led the team to ensure that appropriate catering was provided as part of Operation Marquee, after the passing of Her Majesty the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Stephen had a warm, personable approach and, as such, was very well respected by colleagues within the catering service, but also by Members of the House, members of staff and more widely through other offices within the Administration. We have calculated that, throughout his eight years with the service, Stephen will have been directly responsible for over 2.1 million transactions within the catering venues in the House, as well as over 7,000 catered private events, attended by over 600,000 visitors to Parliament.

My Lords, I would love to join John in the rugby, for sure.

It is a privilege to be asked to give these tributes on behalf of these Benches. The quality and professionalism of the staff who serve this House is indeed one of its hallmarks. It is something that struck me forcefully when I first joined your Lordships’ House, and something that we are reminded of every day.

Yet, like the iceberg, we mainly see those with whom we come into contact. For every one of those visible people, there are many more whom we never or rarely see and yet on whom the smooth running of this House depends. As is demonstrated day after day, year after year, they always deliver. It has been yet another busy year.

My two retirees fit into one of each category: Trudy Collins, a principal attendant, who was very visible, and Mary Cruickshank, a freelance reporter, beavering quietly away in Hansard. Trudy left us in May, having given almost 27 years’ service from 1999, when she made her own little piece of history by being the first female attendant. That must have been quite something, working originally in Black Rod’s department, to her leaving us at a time when we now have the first female Black Rod; that is long overdue, of course.

Trudy rose through the ranks to principal attendant, spending much of her time in the Palace but latterly at Millbank House. It was said of her that she was the first to offer a cup of tea and a friendly chat and was always willing to help, which of course made her very popular with both staff and Members, as such kindnesses were noted and valued. She also worked with many young starters and apprentice attendants, acting as a mentor, giving much support and valuable advice, and showing similar kindnesses to new Members. I am sure the same was bestowed upon her apparently numerous animal friends, including dogs, chickens, tropical fish and parrots, which must have helped her when herding us cats in your Lordships’ House.

My Lords, I join my colleagues very much in thanking all the staff, both in and of the House, not just for their hard work this year but for the good humour that bubbles up so often, which has enabled the House to function very well, even during our rather regularly odd hours.

I pay tribute to Carl Woodall, recently our Director of Facilities, who retired in March. He worked in the House for 14 years and was the first ever Director of Facilities. At an early stage of my time in the House, I used to call on him in room 25, a rather splendid room just at the top of the stairs, having no idea at all that Carl had 200 staff working for him and that he ran a very large number of bits and pieces of the House. I got it completely wrong. I went to his room regularly, asking him about a dustbin or whatever it was, and he would always have time for me, he would always be polite, and the dustbin, or whatever it was, would appear. That was him to a T.

Carl was instrumental in bringing on our successful banqueting department, and in revitalising the shop, which was very helpful for me for my Christmas shopping this year. I find that there are many things in it that are a pleasure to give and a pleasure to own. He oversaw many initiatives, including, importantly, several addressing fire safety, such as the Mobility Impaired Persons project. Each of these initiatives has resulted in a better and safer Westminster for Members, staff and the public.

When Covid-19 hit, Carl was key in enabling the House to continue to exercise its core functions. He worked extremely hard to ensure that the House was operatable and safe. He was the man putting up all the arrows in the various different passageways so that we did not run into each other. He virtually slept here while that was being set up. He was the longest serving member of the management board, and indeed the chair of its health and safety committee. He was known for always standing up for his staff, especially staff who did not have a desk. His warm smile, consistent work ethic and collaborative approach mean that he will be missed.