Committees

Restoration and renewal of Parliament

Inquiry

Over a year ago the Committee reported that every week of delayed repairs to crumbling Parliament was costing the taxpayer another £2 million .

The Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme, widely endorsed as a necessity to preserve a historically and politically significant building, is at a critical stage: its next formal milestone is for the Sponsor Body to present Parliament with a Programme business case, currently expected in early 2023, for its approval.

To develop the business case, the Sponsor Body and Parliament need to agree what should be included, and the Sponsor Body needs more clarity around critical supporting projects, the condition of the Palace and the desired result of the restoration. Without these, there is a risk that Parliament will spend money without the Programme progressing.

Further delays to the start of critical restoration work will only increase the risk of incidents, which will not always be possible to mitigate, affecting the functions and safety of the Palace of Westminster itself and those that use it.

The Committee will question senior executives at the formally established Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority, as well as the Clerk of the House of Commons and Clerk of the Parliament, on current progress in the programme. If you have evidence on any aspect of the Restoration and Renewal programme, please submit it here by Monday 7 March 2022 18:00.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Monday 7 March 2022.

Reports, special reports and government responses

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Tenth Report - Restoration and Renewal of Parliament
Inquiry Restoration and renewal of Parliament
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Report
Response to this report
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Tenth report from Session 2022-23
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Government Response
Response to this report
Correspondence from the Leader of the House Of Commons to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Tenth report Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster from Session 2022-23
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HC 49
Correspondence
Response to this report
Correspondence from the House of Commons, House of Lords, Restoration & Renewal Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Tenth report Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster from Session 2022-23
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Correspondence

Correspondence

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Correspondence from the House of Commons, House of Lords, Restoration & Renewal Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Tenth report Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster from Session 2022-23
Inquiry Restoration and renewal of Parliament
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HC 49
Correspondence
Joint Correspondence from Simon Burton, Clerk of the Parliaments, House of Lords and Dr John Benger, Clerk of the House, House of Commons, re Further information following the oral evidence session, Restoration and Renewal: Progress Update, held on Wednesday 11 May 2022, dated 20 May 2022
Inquiry Restoration and renewal of Parliament
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Correspondence
Public Accounts Committee—follow-up update on the Restoration and Renewal Programme, March 2022
Inquiry Restoration and renewal of Parliament
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Correspondence

Oral evidence transcripts

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11 May 2022
Inquiry Restoration and renewal of Parliament
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Oral Evidence
14 March 2022
Inquiry Restoration and renewal of Parliament
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Oral Evidence

Written evidence

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House of Commons (RRP0005)
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Hertfordshire Business School - University of Hertfordshire (RRP0004)
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Dr Alexandra Meakin (Lecturer in Politics at University of Leeds) (RRP0001)
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Other publications

Government Responses
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Contact us

  • Email: pubaccom@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 8480 (strictly media enquiries only – contact us via our email for general enquiries)
  • Address: Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA