Parliament spends £54,000 on comfortable chairs and smoking area for peers

The House of Lords has spent £54,000 on a new smoking area and comfortable chairs, it has been disclosed.

Parliamentary authorities spent £19,000 on new chairs for the Lords’ terrace, which overlooks the River Thames, and more than £12,000 on planter boxes.

A new smoking area is being built in Black Rod’s Garden on the south side of Parliament, but costs have not yet been finalised.

More than £5,000 has been spent on “provision of gazebos” and “modification to security systems", while repairs to a sideboard on the peers’ River Terrace cost £3,650, documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act by MailOnline show.

The total cost of modifications to the House of Lords is at least £54,000.

The expense was justified by a House of Lords representative on the grounds that the new furniture on the terrace is lighter and more easily accessible to disabled peers.

A spokesman said: “The House of Lords terrace is a popular space used by staff and Members for lunch and dinner when the House is sitting.

“The previous furniture was heavy and difficult to move, causing accessibility issues.

“The new furniture is much lighter and more flexible, a change which has been welcomed by our colleagues with disabilities and mobility issues in equalising access.

“Access to the terrace was also expanded so everyone is entitled to use it without grade based distinctions meaning it has become busier at peak times and necessitating more flexible seating.”

The spokesman added that there are only three areas on the Parliamentary estate where staff can smoke, while another has recently been closed because of fire risk.

It is “appropriate” for employers to provide a smoking area, he said, adding: “The House of Lords Administration does not encourage smoking on the estate, and staff who wish to access support to stop smoking can do so via our health and wellbeing service.”

The plans were approved by the Lords Services Committee in April, but construction of the smoking area and a new path to reach it is ongoing.

The House of Lords’ running costs are significantly lower than the House of Commons, but have increased in recent years due to the dilapidated condition of the Palace of Westminster.

£26.4m was spent on the parliamentary estate and works by the House of Lords in the 2018-19 financial year.