Commons seeks consultants on hot-desk efficiency

The crackdown on Whitehall inefficiency will soon hit close to home as the House of Commons seeks to appoint consultants on hot-desking and new ways of working in Westminster.

A public tender has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) by the House of Commons accommodation services team. It calls for applications from parties that can provide "A Framework for Estate Accommodation Design Services".

The contract involves the ability to provide, among other things:

*pilot studies supporting moves towards new ways of working;

*optimisation of space utilisation;

*delivery assistance for construction projects and accommodation.

The move is thought to be driven, in part, by the need to create a more modern work environment in government buildings, some of which are hundreds of years old.

The UK's Parliamentary Estate team has been revamping its strategy for some time. Any new advisers appointed through this tender process will work beside property services firm BNP Paribas Real Estate which in August was charged with the property management of the 2.7m sq ft parliamentary estate.

The estate includes 15 buildings, including the Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House, on the north side of Westminster Bridge, and, just up the road, Broad Sanctuary.