Restoration and Renewal Recall

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 13 Jan 2023 Closed: 21 Jul 2023 Parliament page
The Committee is recalling senior Parliamentary officials including the clerks of both Houses and the Chief Executives of the Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority and Sponsor Body, to answer questions on the next steps in the programme. This follows the decision to abolish the Sponsor Body and reopen exploration of … Read more
2 Recommendations
32 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
4 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 7 events
21 Jul
2023
Report published
17 May
2023
Report published
6 Mar
2023
Correspondence
2 Feb
2023
Oral evidence
2 Feb
2023
Correspondence
2 Feb
2023
Correspondence
16 Jan
2023
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
2 Feb 2023
View on parliament.uk
Restoration and Renewal Recall
David Goldstone CBE · Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority Dr John Benger · House of Commons Dr Patsy Richards · Restoration and Renewal Client Team Simon Burton · House of Lords
Recommendations & Conclusions
34 results
2 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Present cost and time estimates in ranges and report Restoration and Renewal pilot progress.
There remains a lack of clarity over what a restored Palace will look like, and how it will be delivered, which makes the programme currently extremely difficult to cost with any certainty. In June 2022 we highlighted how critical value … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
3 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Publish annual performance reports and improve member engagement for Restoration Programme.
Transparency will be critical to facilitate accountability, and for Parliament and the public to gain confidence in the programme and its leadership. The current Client Board, alongside the Programme SRO, identified previous parliamentary engagement as having been insufficient. For example, … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
4 Recommendation
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Set out process for Clerks to manage conflicts between legal responsibilities.
It is unclear how the Clerks will manage their legal responsibilities to the programme alongside those to individuals working in and visiting the Palace. From January 2023 the Clerks, acting jointly, have overall responsibility for the parliamentary building works. They … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
5 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Develop clear plan to reiterate contractor responsibilities for timely incident reporting and accountability
Compliance with health and safety protocols, in particular reporting asbestos incidents, remains unsatisfactory. The Clerks have personal responsibility for the health and safety of those working and using the Palace. To fulfil this responsibility, they will rely on others, such … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
1 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Committee gathered evidence from key Palace restoration and renewal stakeholders
Following our previous reports on the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster (the Palace), we took evidence from the Programme SRO and Head of the R&R Client team, the Delivery Authority Chief Executive, the Clerk of the House … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
6 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Palace of Westminster faces catastrophic damage risks, especially from fire incidents
The Clerks have legal responsibility for the safety of those working and using the Palace and the wider estate.9 The Clerk of the House of Commons told us he was very clear that eventually there will be ‘catastrophic and irreversible … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
7 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Palace of Westminster requires extensive and costly ongoing maintenance works
The House Administrations undertake maintenance works across the parliamentary estate. The Clerks told us maintenance costs totalled approximately £2 million per week, with the House Administrations spending around £100 million a year.13 The sheer quantity of building and maintenance work … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
8 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Asbestos remains a serious and widespread concern within the Palace of Westminster
Asbestos remains a serious and pressing concern for those who live and work in the Palace and wider parliamentary estate – since 2016 there have been 8 asbestos incidents.16 The Chief Executive of the R&R Delivery Authority informed us asbestos … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
9 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Clerks rely on contractors for safety, but timely asbestos incident reporting remains an issue
To fulfil their statutory responsibilities, the Clerks rely on others, such as contractors working within the Palace to follow expected processes and meet standards.19 As the Clerks have outlined previously, they have established dedicated processes to help them report and … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
10 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Recent asbestos incidents highlight ongoing contractor reporting failures and necessitate procedural review
Since then, there have been two further asbestos incidents, one of which the Clerks accepted had not been handled appropriately. In September 2022 a contractor did not inform the Clerks of an asbestos incident or limit the dangers as quickly … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
11 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Clerks prioritize Palace safety by strengthening teams, but confidence in robust structures is lacking
Managing the safety of the Palace remains a top priority for the Clerks and House Administrations.24 As they have been unhappy about the treatment of several safety issues, which also includes 12 instances of falling masonry, and given an increase … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
12 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
New statutory instrument implemented revised governance for Palace restoration and renewal programme
Following the House Commissions issuing a joint statement proposing changes to the approach and governance of the restoration and renewal programme in March 2022, the statutory instrument introducing these changes came into effect on 1st January
HM Treasury
View details
13 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Programme leadership capacity significantly diminished following staff departures and recruitment difficulties.
During this time, the House Administrations also worked to transition from the former Sponsor Body into the R&R Client Team. We have previously highlighted the risk that delays to changing the programme governance, and continuing uncertainty, could lead to a … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
14 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Presenting a strategic case to Parliament by year-end is critical for programme momentum.
The Clerk of the Commons told us he felt that the governance was in as good a place as it could be, but recognised that this is a critical year for the programme. Managing the risks to the timetable will … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
15 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Critical uncertainties persist, making the programme complex and impacting value for money risks.
In 2020 we highlighted how the Programme is made ever-more complex by the number of uncertainties which underpin it, including the condition of the building, interdependencies with other parliamentary building projects, the lack of consensus over where Parliamentarians and staff … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
16 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Programme costs are predominantly determined by timescale and essential safety-critical works.
The Programme SRO outlined how, given the uncertainties, the Delivery Authority had worked up 30 options to help provide the evidence needed for decision-making. This analysis showed that how the programme was conducted, and on what timescale, had a much … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
17 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Uncertainty regarding programme scope, with political decision-making identified as the top risk.
The scope of the work, in terms of what a restored Palace would look like and how work would be undertaken, remains uncertain. We asked the Programme SRO about the risk of Parliament being unable to decide how to reduce … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
18 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Unrealistic parliamentary resolutions necessitate unavoidable trade-offs between cost, accessibility, and sustainability goals.
The Clerk of the House of Commons told us that resolutions passed by Parliament were unrealistic. There will be unavoidable trade-offs between cost, accessibility and sustainability. For example, the Commissions set out health and safety as their primary commitment but … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
19 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Intrusive surveys reveal ongoing issues, making accurate programme cost forecasting impossible.
The Delivery Authority continues to undertake intrusive surveys to understand as much as possible prior about the Palace before carrying out works. It has compiled over 1,750 technical reports on different aspects of the building. We were told that these … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
20 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
£270 million spent, with a pilot project planned to address uncertainties and engage public.
To date, the Delivery Authority has spent £270 million, with much of this on developing the previous schemes and preparing the business case prior to the programme being paused in 2022. It is now developing a wider range of options … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
21 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Transparency offers significant benefits for accountability, public engagement, and confidence in major programmes.
This Committee has often set out the significant benefits of transparency for supporting accountability over decision-making, alongside updating and engaging Parliament and the public on progress across critical major programmes. Transparency will also be critical for Parliament and the public … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
22 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Programme should exemplify transparency by regularly reporting progress and welcoming scrutiny.
In our 2021 report drawing together lessons from numerous programmes we specifically highlighted the importance of Parliament’s own restoration and renewal programme being an exemplar of an open and transparent programme which welcomes scrutiny.50 The Delivery Authority Chief Executive commented … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
23 Recommendation
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Public support for Palace restoration high but faces challenges from rising costs.
The Clerk of the House of Commons described how restoration and renewal of the Palace would be a ‘hard sell’ to the public. Prior to the reset of the programme, the Sponsor Body estimated that works would cost between £7 … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
24 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Achieving parliamentary consensus on Palace restoration direction remains a significant risk.
Members of both Houses play a critical role in approving the forward direction of the programme. Back in 2020, we highlighted the challenges in building consensus across parliamentarians, which continues to be a significant risk.56 The Clerk of the House … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
25 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Parliamentary engagement on Palace restoration has been insufficient, requiring new approach.
In terms of parliamentary engagement, the Programme SRO identified this as an area where the Sponsor Body had previously not done enough.58 In October 2022, the newly established Client Board acknowledged that engagement had not been sufficient, with a new … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
26 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Inconsistent senior political support caused significant changes and pauses in the restoration programme.
We have previously seen the importance of getting senior political stakeholders on side. We reported that in February 2021, upon considering findings from a strategic review, the Commissions agreed the Sponsor Body could spend up to £5 million to carry … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
27 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Improving parliamentary engagement is crucial for achieving the ambitious restoration timetable.
The Programme SRO recognises that to achieve the ambitious timetable, the R&R Client Team will need to improve its parliamentary engagement.63 The Programme SRO and Delivery Authority Chief Executive envisage that recent governance changes will lead to more political ownership, … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
28 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Insufficient information on costs and decant options hinders Parliament's strategic decisions.
In 2020, the NAO reported that to reduce the likelihood of previous decisions being reopened, decisions should be based on the best available evidence, be transparent and make clear the cost and timing implications of alternatives.67 We challenged the witnesses … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
29 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Corporate Officers of both Houses now hold overall responsibility for building works.
On 1 January 2023, the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body (Abolition) regulations 2022 came into effect. These set out that the Corporate Officers of the Houses would, acting jointly, “have overall responsibility for the Parliamentary building works.”71 The Sponsor Body’s previous … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
30 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Clerks face challenges balancing programme accountabilities with Corporate Officer responsibilities.
When we last reported on restoration and renewal in June 2022, we were concerned that the Clerks may have felt constrained in sharing their professional views, as accounting officers, on what the restoration and renewal programme could deliver.74 In addition, … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
31 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Clerks could face untenable positions if asked to implement unwise or unsafe decisions.
The Clerks recognise the significance of the responsibilities they now hold and the complexities they face when fulfilling and balancing these respective responsibilities. 67 C&AG’s report, Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme, HC 315, Session 2019–2021, 24 April 2020 … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
32 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
No formal process exists for Clerks to challenge misaligned restoration programme decisions.
There is currently no formal process in place should the Clerks be requested to do something they felt did not align with their respective responsibilities. For example, the Clerks cannot overrule the restoration and renewal Client Board or the Programme … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
33 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Unclear procedure for Clerks to record abuse and override decisions.
The Clerk of the House of Commons suggested that where there was a real abuse of procedure, there would be value to him being able to put this on record through placing a letter in the Library. He mentioned how … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
34 Conclusion
Fifty-Second Report - Restoration …
Clerks' capacity and expertise for large projects remain concerning, amidst leadership changes.
We have previously expressed concern that the Clerks do not have the expertise or the capacity to successfully oversee a large infrastructure project of this cost and complexity. Their previous experience overseeing work on, for example, Elizabeth Tower shows how … Read more
HM Treasury
View details
Correspondence 4 letters
6 Mar 2023 Joint correspondence from the House of Commons and House of Lords, dated 27 February 2023, following on from the oral evidence session on Restoration and Renewal Recall, held on Thursday 2 February 2023
Parliament page
2 Feb 2023 Sir John Benger KCB, Clerk, House at House of Common, re Asbestos update, dated 1 February 2023
Parliament page
2 Feb 2023 Joint correspondence from Sir John Benger KCB, Clerk, House at House of Common, David Goldstone CBE, Chief Executive, Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, Simon Burton, Clerk of the Parliaments, House of Lords House of Lords and Dr Patsy Richards, Interim Chief Executive, Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body, re R&R update, dated 30 January 2023
Parliament page
16 Jan 2023 Correspondence from John Benger, Clerk of the House, Palace of Westminster, re update on Asbestos related incidents, Fire incidents and Stone masonry falls, dated 22 December 2022
Parliament page