Jill Pay is the current Serjeant at Arms in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. Pay is the first woman to have held the position Her appointment was unusual in that the position is one normally reserved for those with a military background. Pay is responsible for security in the House of Commons. She announced her retirement on 13 October 2011, effective 31 January 2012.

Career

Pay replacing Major General Peter Grant Peterkin

Peter Grant Peterkin

Major-General Anthony Peter Grant Peterkin CB OBE was the British House of Commons' Serjeant at Arms between 2004 and 2007.-Military career:...

 as Serjeant at Arms in 2008. She is a former civil servant who has formerly worked as a business manager. She has worked in Parliament since 1994 when her title was Head Office Keeper. She was appointed Deputy Serjeant at Arms in 2004. Before she assumed the role of Serjeant at Arms, the role was downgraded, something with which the Queen was said to be unhappy. The position is a crown appointment. Pay was not granted an audience with the monarch, as is tradition.

Damien Green search

In 2008, Pay became embroiled in political controversy when it was revealed she was the official who had consented to a police search on Damien Green's Commons office. There was some suggestion that Pay was made a scapegoat

Scapegoat

Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...

 in order to protect the reputation of the then Commons Speaker Michael Martin

Michael Martin (politician)

Michael John Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn, PC is a British politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Glasgow Springburn from 1979 to 2005, and then for Glasgow North East until 2009...

.