Parliament wants to splash £6m on network build 'n' run contract The Houses of Parliament is looking to splash up to £6m on a data network management and support services network. The contract is worth between £3m-£6m over a six year period. The managed services deal will cover maintenance, support, management and monitoring of the Houses of Parliament Network Security Services. That …
If the building itself is renovated entirely, then an entirely new network could be put in place based on modern, top-shelf secured equipment, along with fiber to connect everything and eliminate (or at least seriously hinder) electronic eavesdropping.
May be that this is a blessing in disguise.
Or I may be completely wrong.
All you have to do to snoop fibre is bend it "just right"
In any case it's easier to simply port monitor the switches.
As for that building, the best course of action is probably to knock it down and start over - preferably somewhere outside of London. It's only been there since 1840 (or 1870 if you count when it was completed) was badly built, has been shoddily rebuilt/repaired and is hopelessly unsuited to the tasks it's expected to perform.
The site has a history of periodic new buildings, generally by way of the old one being burned down and London is only the capital of England - for the moment. It's been other places in the past.
There are multiple buildings (about a dozen) in the immediate vicinity of the houses of Parliament - the idea is to shuffle people from the houses of Parliament into the other buildings while renovation takes place.
One option that has been discussed in the media is shipping the Lords off to a retirement village (or the Fletcher Memorial Home...) and have MP's use the Lords debating chamber.
As it is a public contract, imagine the cost of doing this elsewhere and multiply by 3-5 depending on your level of optimism.
Close the Palace of Westminster. Hand the keys over to the National Trust. They can organise tourist experiences and fund propping it up.
Build modern replacement. (No don't use the same guys that did Holyrood) with 400 spaces and all the facilities for a 21st Century administration.
And a modern round debating chamber.
Less MPs and maybe less schoolboy behaviour.
With a bid of 3 managers and 1 half time employee?
Sorry 3m/6years = 0.5m/year. I know the pound is stronger than the dollar, but with contracting overhead that looks like maybe 5 people. Given the client, that means at least one full time manager to provide cover for the workers. As a result, no bodies who have time to really look at security - because they are busy chasing the details of keeping a network running day to day.
Or more likely, a 3m/6 year contract that costs 60m over 3 years.
Put the contract out to tender via CCS frameworks and it will be a £60m contract or never happen at all ever........
However in the context of the circular and largely inconclusive debates that Govt has on such matters e.g. Heathrow 3rd Runway, HS2.
I will decide; in this case contract not needed as this will be addressed in overall Parliament building refurb.
Instead invest money in temporarily equipping other building for Parliament to move into whilst HoP are refurbed.
Right next decision that needs making......... comon now move along the queue!! Next please
It can't be put through a CCS framework. CCS is an instrument of the Government. Parliament must be independent of Government. Hence Parliament has its own procurement function and can't touch any of the frameworks of CCS or any other public body for that matter.
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