The Palace of Westminster faces a rising risk of a major fire or another catastrophic event unless MPs address how to fund its refurbishment, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. The committee said the building’s restoration has been repeatedly delayed amid disagreements over the approach and escalating costs.
Maintenance of the parliamentary estate currently costs about £1.5m a week and is expected to reach £2m. The PAC said each year of delay adds an estimated £420m to the restoration programme. A recent estimate put the overall cost as high as £40bn, with work potentially taking six decades.
The Victorian estate has persistent maintenance problems, including plumbing failures, leaking roofs and crumbling masonry. Outdated electrical systems also pose a fire risk, requiring round-the-clock fire patrols. PAC chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said MPs should consider the consequences of a disaster, including damage to the UK’s heritage and possible injuries or deaths. He described the risks as real and increasing.
The committee said decisions on the work have largely been treated as a matter for MPs and peers, rather than the government. It did not endorse a particular refurbishment plan, but called for better engagement with parliamentarians, clearer cost estimates and a timetable to support a decision on the main project in 2030. It also urged faster decisions on temporary accommodation and simpler oversight, including the creation of a restoration and renewal select committee.
Two refurbishment options remain under consideration. A “full decant” would move the Commons to nearby government offices and the Lords to the QEII conference centre, with staff relocated elsewhere on the estate. The project would take up to 24 years and cost about £15.6bn. A “staged decant” would take between 38 and 61 years, temporarily moving the Commons into the Lords chamber for up to two years, and is estimated to cost about £39.2bn.
The PAC raised concerns about the availability and cost of temporary facilities. It said the estimated £417m cost of refurbishing the QEII centre and about £2bn to prepare the northern part of the estate for a decant appeared very high. The report also warned that the programme seemed to be shaped around the availability of temporary accommodation, rather than providing accommodation to meet the programme’s needs.
A parliamentary spokesperson welcomed the committee’s scrutiny. The spokesperson said work was already under way across the estate to protect the safety of people working in and visiting the Palace, while the PAC warned that without action the building would face “managed decline”.
Sources: The Guardian Politics.