London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025

Parliament building work delays cost '£2m a week'

Parliament building work delays cost '£2m a week'

Spending watchdog urges repairs body to get on with it - but they say rethink is needed to save money.

Delayed repairs to the Palace of Westminster cost taxpayers £2m a week, a government spending watchdog says.

Politicians had been scheduled to leave the building for at least six years while building work is completed at an estimated cost of £4bn.

But in May the body overseeing the work said the move should be reviewed due to the financial pressures of coronavirus.

The Public Accounts Committee said the "few decisions" that have been taken so far did not need reviewing.

The committee's Labour chair Meg Hillier also warned that "excessive political interference" in the process "may muddy the waters" and make delivery of the project more difficult.

Earlier this year, the prime minister suggested the House of Lords could be moved to York on a permanent basis.

This idea was later rejected. but the government said it would continue to push for a move out of London, even though the final decision will be down to MPs and peers.

Ms Hillier said: "Parliament is literally falling apart around the thousands of people who work there and the million or so who, in better times, visit every year. It poses a very real risk to health and safety in its current state,"

"After nearly 20 years of discussion and costs to the taxpayer of just maintaining Parliament now rising by £2m a week, what we don't need is for the authorities to keep reopening and reviewing what few decisions have been taken.

"The cost of the project will be high but doing nothing is not an option and is certainly not a cost-free option - without action we are just ratcheting up the bill to the taxpayer."

'Get to work'


The Labour MP also suggested the coronavirus pandemic meant Parliament was quieter than usual, providing an opportunity for building work to go ahead.

"It's time for those responsible to get creative and get to work," she said.

Responding to the committee's report Sarah Johnson, CEO of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body, said the review was aimed at securing value for money and providing "certainty about the way forward".

"The work to save our Parliament buildings for the nation is essential and urgent, and the Palace of Westminster continues to be at a high risk of catastrophic damage, be that a major fire, flood or falling masonry," she added.

The Palace of Westminster, which houses the Houses of Commons and Lords, has long been in need of repair and in 2018 MPs voted for refurbishment work to go ahead.

'Political interference'


Under current plans, parliamentarians will move into temporary accommodation while the major repairs are carried out.

However, the Sponsor Body - a panel of politicians and building experts set up to oversee restoration - said it would review the project, looking at ways of cutting costs, including alternatives to decanting Parliament to a different building.

Renovation could happen around politicians as they continue working in the building, although the process could take longer and cost more.

In its report, the Public Accounts Committee warned that "excessive political interference may muddy the waters of the Sponsor Body's work and has the potential to make delivery of the programme more difficult".

It advised the body to publish details of "what it considers are the main risks to building political consensus" and how it plans to mitigate those risks.

And it suggested the Sponsor Body launch an "engagement strategy" to ensure the public can feed into decisions.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
×