The Serjeant at Arms is responsible for security and keeping order within the Commons part of the parliamentary estate. There are also some ceremonial aspects to the role. The Serjeant at Arms directorate is part of the Department of Chamber and Committee Services.
Areas of responsibility in the parliamentary estate
The responsibilities of the Serjeant at Arms apply to the House of Commons chamber, public galleries, committee rooms and the Commons' areas of the parliamentary estate.
Ceremonial duties
The Serjeant at Arms' ceremonial duties involves carrying the House of Commons mace during the Speaker's procession. This is when the Speaker and his staff walk to the House of Commons chamber before each sitting. The Serjeant, or a deputy Serjeant, sits in the Commons chamber and is responsible for security for the duration of the sitting. The Speaker can call upon them to escort people out. The Serjeant at Arms wears a traditional uniform and a sword.
Current acting Serjeant at Arms
Lawrence Ward is the Serjeant at Arms. The Deputy Serjeant at Arms is to be announced.
The former Serjeant at Arms was Jill Pay, who was appointed on 30 January 2008. Jill Pay took pre-retirement leave as of 1 November 2011. She had worked at the Palace of Westminster since 1994 when she was Head Office Keeper, and was appointed Assistant Serjeant at Arms in September 2004. She was the first female Serjeant at Arms in the post's history.