UK Inquiry Tracker

Restoration and renewal of Parliament

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 26 Jan 2022 Closed: 2 Sep 2022 Parliament page

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: … Read more

11 Recommendations

29 Conclusions

1 Report

2 Oral sessions

4 Letters

2 Events

Activity timeline 10 events

2 Sep
2022

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Tenth report from Session 2022-23

6 Jul
2022

Correspondence

Correspondence from the House of Commons, House of Lords, Restoration & Renewal Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority to the Committee of Pub…

29 Jun
2022

Report published

Tenth Report - Restoration and Renewal of Parliament

24 May
2022

Correspondence

Joint Correspondence from Simon Burton, Clerk of the Parliaments, House of Lords and Dr John Benger, Clerk of the House, House of Commons, …

11 May
2022

Oral evidence

Restoration and renewal of Parliament recall; DfE recall

11 May
2022

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Restoration and renewal of Parliament recall

25 Apr
2022

Correspondence

Public Accounts Committee—follow-up update on the Restoration and Renewal Programme, March 2022

30 Mar
2022

Correspondence

Correspondence from Dr John Benger, Clerk of the House of Commons Palace of Westminster, re Further information following the oral evidence…

14 Mar
2022

Oral evidence

Restoration and renewal of Parliament

14 Mar
2022

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster

Restoration and renewal of Parliament

Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions

11 May 2022

View on parliament.uk

Restoration and renewal of Parliament recall; DfE recall

David Goldstone CBE · Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority Dr John Benger · House of Commons Indra Morris · Children’s Services, Communications & Strategy Group Sarah Johnson · Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body Simon Burton · House of Lords Stephanie Brivio · Department for Education Susan Acland-Hood · The Department for Education

14 Mar 2022

View on parliament.uk

Restoration and renewal of Parliament

David Goldstone · HM Treasury Dr John Benger · House of Commons Sarah Johnson · Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body Simon Burton · House of Lords

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Tenth Report - Restoration and Renewal of Parliament	HC 49	29 Jun 2022	40	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

7 results

6 Recommendation Not Addressed

Tenth Report - Restoration and Ren…

The Parliamentary Accounting Officers have not made clear whether the House authorities can deliver the...

The Parliamentary Accounting Officers have not made clear whether the House authorities can deliver the work envisaged by Parliament. We are concerned that the Clerks may feel constrained in sharing their professional views as Accounting and Corporate officers on what … Read more The Parliamentary Accounting Officers have not made clear whether the House authorities can deliver the work envisaged by Parliament. We are concerned that the Clerks may feel constrained in sharing their professional views as Accounting and Corporate officers on what is deliverable. For government programmes, Accounting Officers must assess the delivery risks, publishing a summary of these, and seek a ministerial direction should they consider what they are being asked to do is undeliverable. In January 2020 the Speaker of the House established a new procedure, modelled on Accounting Officers’ ability to seek a ministerial direction, allowing the Clerk of the House to place a statement of his views in the House of Commons Library, if he feels a decision taken by the Speaker comprises either a substantial breach of the Standing Orders, or a departure from long-established conventions, without authorisation by the House itself.1 The Clerks have not shared their views on what work could be delivered. The Commissions convened an independent panel to provide them with advice and assurance on both the governance options and proposed approach to the work. The Commissions considered the independent panel’s review in June 2022, subsequently publishing this as part of a joint report setting out areas the Houses would be invited to vote on. Recommendations: Given their roles as Accounting and Corporate Officers, the Clerks should make available to Members their expert advice on the future programme governance and the viability of different approach to the works. Should the Clerks be tasked with delivering a programme which they cannot assure themselves is value for money, or the best use of taxpayers’ funds, then following the principle of transparency set out by the Speaker in January 2020, 1 Letter from the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, to the Clerk of the House, Dr John Benger, January 29, 2020 Restoration and Renewal of Parliament 9 they should write to the Commons and Lord Show less

Government Response

The government's response provides lists of Treasury Minutes responses for previous sessions without addressing the specific recommendation about the Clerks making their expert advice available and writing to the Commons and Lords should they be tasked with delivering a programme which they cannot assure themselves is value for money.

HM Treasury

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7 Conclusion

Tenth Report - Restoration and Ren…

The Clerk of the House told us that every year the restoration and renewal of...

The Clerk of the House told us that every year the restoration and renewal of the Palace is delayed adds risk and cost such as through nugatory spending.18 In 2014, an independent assessment found delays to the decision may add … Read more

HM Treasury

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8 Conclusion

Tenth Report - Restoration and Ren…

Since the start of 2016, there have been 25 fire incidents within the Palace and...

Since the start of 2016, there have been 25 fire incidents within the Palace and 13 incidents of falling masonry.22 Nearly two hundred years ago, in 1834, the historic Palace was destroyed by a fire following delay restoring the building.23

HM Treasury

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9 Conclusion

Tenth Report - Restoration and Ren…

In May 2022, the Clerk of the House of Commons told us that this period...

In May 2022, the Clerk of the House of Commons told us that this period of uncertainty was “highly corrosive and damaging” for retaining the vital expertise needed to develop the Programme.24 This echoed the Delivery Authority’s comments to us … Read more

HM Treasury

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18 Conclusion

Tenth Report - Restoration and Ren…

We questioned the Clerk of the House of Commons on the House administration’s performance managing...

We questioned the Clerk of the House of Commons on the House administration’s performance managing similar programmes. The expected cost of the Elizabeth Tower refurbishment has roughly tripled, from £29 million set out in the outline business case in 2016 … Read more

HM Treasury

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24 Conclusion

Tenth Report - Restoration and Ren…

The Clerk of the House told us that he expected the Infrastructure and Projects Authority...

The Clerk of the House told us that he expected the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) to assure the arrangements but recognised that the IPA had no formal role over the Programme.60 Following our March evidence session, the Clerk clarified … Read more

HM Treasury

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25 Conclusion

Tenth Report - Restoration and Ren…

When we reported on this Programme in October 2020, we found the Sponsor Body had...

When we reported on this Programme in October 2020, we found the Sponsor Body had not engaged sufficiently with Members, Peers, Officials, and staff to clarify how it would reconcile the range of individual views within Parliament. While the Sponsor … Read more

HM Treasury

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Government Response AI assessment · 34 of 11 classified

Accepted 17

Acknowledged 12

Deferred 4

Not Addressed 1

Total 11 recs + 29 conclusions

Correspondence 4 letters

6 Jul 2022 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

Parliament page

24 May 2022 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

Parliament page

25 Apr 2022 Public Accounts Committee—follow-up update on the Restoration and Renewal Programme, March 2022

Parliament page

30 Mar 2022 Correspondence from Dr John Benger, Clerk of the House of Commons Palace of Westminster, re Further information following the oral evidence session: Restoration and Renewal, held on Monday 14 March 2022, dated 29 March 2022

Parliament page