A third person familiar with the discussions said that while starting preparatory works would be a step in the right direction, the vote had been “fudged” for the reason that “it’s a scary big figure at a time when the government is taking unpalatable decisions and there’s no appetite to put it to MPs.”
Ministers have been anxious to avoid the budget being juxtaposed with the spectacle of MPs debating multibillion sums for the future of their own workplace. Two of the people said they expect parliamentary authorities to publish the cost of the options for restoration, as well as the cost of delay, shortly before the budget.
The costs of ad hoc maintenance and repairs to keep the palace safe have been rising. Fresh figures obtained by POLITICO show it now stands at £1.56 million a week, or £81.1 million a year, up from £1.45 million a week in 2023.
Alexandra Meakin, an expert on restoration from the University of Sheffield, said: “The continued failure to give the current parliament a full debate and vote means taxpayers are continuing to spend millions of pounds each year on repairs and maintenance, while the risk of the building being destroyed in a catastrophic flood or fire remains unaddressed.”
‘We remain on track’
Corridors in the palace’s sprawling basement that could once fit four people abreast are now so packed with gas lines, water pipes, electrical wiring and redundant infrastructure that workers can only walk down them single file. It has a misting system to mitigate the risk of fire.
Extra safety measures have been introduced in recent years to guard against falling masonry that has come loose on several occasions.
A government spokesperson said: “The Restoration and Renewal Programme has always been a parliamentary programme and remains so. Ensuring value for taxpayers’ money must be a driving focus.”
A U.K. parliament spokesperson said: “We remain on track to bring costed proposals for the restoration of the Palace of Westminster to both Houses this year, detailing costs, timescales, risks and benefits of the delivery options, all of which represent a significant, multibillion pound investment in the Palace.”