Fire Risk at the Palace of Westminster Is Rising, Committee Warns
The risk of a major fire at the Palace of Westminster in London is rising, and each year of delay makes the repair bill larger, according to a new report from the UK Public Accounts Committee.
The committee, a group of MPs that checks how public money is spent, said health and safety incidents at the building are increasing while its renovation falls behind schedule. Its chair, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, warned that current fire risks could lead to flames like those that tore through Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. Dezeen reported on the findings.
The Palace of Westminster is the home of the UK Parliament. Its stonework, wiring and pipes are old, and the building has needed major repairs for years. In 2018, Parliament voted to move out so that the work could be done without MPs and staff inside. The committee also warned in 2023 that the building was at constant risk of fire.
The new report puts figures on the cost of waiting. The committee said maintenance costs are expected to rise from £1.5 million to £2 million a week if no action is taken. It also said each year of delay will add £420 million to the total cost of the restoration.
The report sets out four possible renovation strategies. Parliament must choose one by 2030. The first option is to move out fully, which the committee estimates would cost between £11.1 billion and £15.6 billion and take 19 to 24 years. The second is to move out only in part, which would cost between £19.5 billion and £39.2 billion and could take up to 61 years.
The report is titled "Restoration and Renewal of Parliament: Costing and governance." It is the committee's 19th report and comes from an inquiry into how the project is costed and managed, as listed on the committee's publications page.
For the people who work in the building, the message is that delay carries a cost in money as well as time. The decision on which option to pick now sits with Parliament, and the committee's figures show that the sooner it is made, the less each year of waiting adds to the final bill.
