HOUSE OF COMMONS AND LORDS COMMISSIONS AND THE AWARD OF THE ELIZABETH TOWER CONTRACT TO SIR ROBERT MCALPINE

That this House disapproves of the awarding of the contract to refurbish the Elizabeth Tower ,Big Ben, to the construction company Sir Robert McAlpine; recalls that in 2009 the Information Commissioner raided the offices of the Consulting Association and found a blacklist of over 3,000 construction workers that had been used to vet employees and unfairly deny people work; notes that Sir Robert McAlpine not only helped to found and fund the Consulting Association but provided two of its Chairs; further notes that although Sir Robert McAlpine was subject to litigation over blacklisting and admitted its guilt in 2016, not one director has ever been held to account; recognises the exceptional nature of the contract to restore Big Ben, one of the UK's most iconic buildings and a national symbol of the Mother of Parliaments; further notes Mr Speaker's comments that the chosen contractor should be one that observes the letter and spirit of the law and conforms to the highest standards; agrees with recent Government comments that blacklisting is completely unacceptable given the exceptional symbolic national importance of Big Ben; believes that awarding the contract to Sir Robert McAlpine is inappropriate and an insult to the victims of blacklisting in the construction sector and sends a message that firms can engage in such unacceptable practices without serious consequences; and calls on the House of Commons and House of Lords Commissions to rethink their decision and award the contract to another construction company that does not have a history of involvement in blacklisting.