Tenth Report - Restoration and Renewal of Parliament

Select Committee

Public Accounts Committee HC 49 29 June 2022

Report Status Government responded

Conclusions & Recommendations 40 items (11 recs)

Source View on Parliament website

Government Response (AI assessment · 34 of 40 classified)

Accepted 17

Acknowledged 12

Deferred 4

Not Addressed 1

Recommendations

8 results

4 Accepted

The Commissions have asked for further options to be explored but is unclear how the...

Recommendation

The Commissions have asked for further options to be explored but is unclear how the higher costs, greater duration and added risks, including extraordinary health and safety risks, of a continued presence during the building works can be managed. The … Read more

Government Response Summary

The Clerks agreed with the recommendation to set out the threshold of risk they are willing to accept, stating that risk management processes are already in place, and the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority accepted the recommendation to progress the intrusive surveys, stating that they are on track to start in July 2022.

HM Treasury

5 Accepted

To date, there has been a failure of transparency and accountability over work to restore...

Recommendation

To date, there has been a failure of transparency and accountability over work to restore and renew the Palace. This includes: the House administrations being three months late sharing, in line with expected standards, information on a recent asbestos incident … Read more To date, there has been a failure of transparency and accountability over work to restore and renew the Palace. This includes: the House administrations being three months late sharing, in line with expected standards, information on a recent asbestos incident with those impacted; the Sponsor Body choosing not to consult the domestic committees within Parliament; and Parliament not being clearly informed of the Sponsor Body’s CEO’s resignation. Our work across major programmes has illustrated the importance of establishing the right culture for transparency. The House of Commons Commission decided to propose dissolving the Sponsor Body directly after considering early cost and schedule information prepared by the Sponsor Body (which it found concerning). Unless the justification for this decision is now made clear, it could set a damaging ‘good news culture’. 8 Restoration and Renewal of Parliament Recommendations: To maintain effective transparency over the Programme: • Measures should be put in place by the Programme’s Accounting Officers to ensure the programme sponsor reports regularly to Parliament on progress, including information on the potential costs and risks estimates and any associated uncertainties. • The Commissions of both Houses should publish and place in their respective Libraries all minutes and advice documents supporting decisions relating to the programme, as well as the interdependent and wider works across the Parliamentary Estate. • The Delivery Authority should include engagement with parliamentary domestic committees as a critical stage in any future timetables. • Urgently, and at the latest before works commence, the Clerks of both Houses should review and improve processes to guarantee health and safety incidents are reported as soon as possible to those accountable for safety and those potentially affected by incidents. • The Government must be clearly engaged with the overall strategy and costs of the entire R&R project. Show less

Government Response Summary

The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments agree with the Committee’s recommendation to ensure transparency over the Programme, stating that the revised safety escalation protocols were implemented on 6 April 2022 and will be reviewed. They have reviewed and updated the existing safety escalation arrangements, implemented improved protocols, delivered training to key staff, and scheduled further reviews.

HM Treasury

12 Accepted

The Commissions intend to put indicative resolutions based on this report to Members and Peers...

Recommendation

The Commissions intend to put indicative resolutions based on this report to Members and Peers before the summer 2022 recess. The Clerk of the House explained that formalising the Commissions’ proposal would require the Leader of the House of Commons … Read more

Government Response Summary

The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments commit to implement this recommendation, where it is within their powers to do so, aiming to meet the Commissions’ timeframe for drafting the necessary regulations in autumn 2022.

HM Treasury

13 Accepted

The Sponsor Body told us it has not estimated the costs associated with dissolving itself,...

Recommendation

The Sponsor Body told us it has not estimated the costs associated with dissolving itself, which will depend on what the changes to the governance arrangements and proposed work look like. Depending on their grade, its staff have notice periods … Read more

Government Response Summary

The Accounting Officers agree with the Committee’s recommendation. There are already processes in place within Parliament, the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority to avoid nugatory spend when making investment decisions.

HM Treasury

16 Accepted

The Clerk of the House of Commons explained that the technical capacity needed to take...

Recommendation

The Clerk of the House of Commons explained that the technical capacity needed to take on the Sponsor Body’s role was well beyond anything within the House administrations’ in-house resource. He suggested there will need to be a professional client … Read more

Government Response Summary

The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments commit to ensuring the new Client Team has the right skills and expertise, assessing capability and capacity gaps within the sponsor function, and applying TUPE legislation to mitigate the risk of losing staff.

HM Treasury

19 Accepted

We also questioned the House administrations’ protocols on how they to responded to safety incidents...

Recommendation

We also questioned the House administrations’ protocols on how they to responded to safety incidents during works.46 On 19 November 2021, contractors working in the Speaker’s private apartments identified a release of asbestos between 23 October and 27 October 2021.47 … Read more

Government Response Summary

The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments agree with the Committee’s recommendation, noting that the revised safety escalation protocols were implemented on 6 April 2022 and will be reviewed in October 2022, with annual reviews thereafter.

HM Treasury

31 Accepted

The Sponsor Body returned to the Commissions with its initial analysis on the impact of...

Recommendation

The Sponsor Body returned to the Commissions with its initial analysis on the impact of a continued presence in January 2022.82 In the initial analysis, the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority assumed that the Commons Chamber, alongside other functions requested … Read more

Government Response Summary

The Sponsor Body CEO and the Delivery Authority CEO accept the recommendation to progress the intrusive surveys during the summer to determine what the asbestos removal plan should be, including whether it is safe to remain in the Palace whilst these works take place, and this is already being implemented, with plans for commencing intrusive surveys on track to start in July 2022.

HM Treasury

37 Accepted

Furthermore, the Commission has not yet set out its reason for suggesting the abolition of...

Recommendation

Furthermore, the Commission has not yet set out its reason for suggesting the abolition of the Sponsor Body.99 The Sponsor Body had set out indicative cost and time estimates for the work, and then heard about plans to abolish it … Read more

Government Response Summary

The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments agree to set out the threshold of risk they are willing to accept during the works. The Sponsor Body CEO and the Delivery Authority CEO accept the recommendation to progress the intrusive surveys during the summer to determine the asbestos removal plan.

HM Treasury

Conclusions (9) Observations and findings — click to expand

17 Conclusion Accepted

In terms of the Clerks’ role, Members of both Houses value their expertise in terms of procedural knowledge, but they may not have the requisite skills to oversee the delivery function (the Delivery Authority) in a complex programme with multiple interdependences. There is no evidence that the Clerk of the …

Government Response Summary

The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments commit to implement this recommendation, and the Delivery Authority will remain in place and independent. An interim CEO will assess capability and capacity gaps within the sponsor function.

20 Conclusion Accepted

The Clerk of the House of Commons explained the House administrations stood down all works on the parliamentary estate on 9 February, in part to check whether the right protocols were in place and understood by the relevant staff.50 He told us that the handling of the incident was not …

Government Response Summary

The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments agree with the Committee’s conclusion, stating that the revised safety escalation protocols were implemented on 6 April 2022 and will be reviewed. They have reviewed and updated the existing safety escalation arrangements, implemented improved protocols, delivered training to key staff, and scheduled further reviews.

21 Conclusion Accepted

The incident was formally reported to the Health and Safety Executive on 10 February 2022, with relevant trade unions informed on 15 February. The Clerk of the House of Commons acknowledged that the staff affected should have been contacted with greater urgency. The Clerk attributed the delay to disputes between …

Government Response Summary

The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments agree with the Committee’s recommendation, and the revised safety escalation protocols were implemented on 6 April 2022 with a further review scheduled for October 2022 to ensure they remain fit for purpose.

27 Conclusion Accepted

On 18 March, the Commissions issued a joint statement setting out nine parameters to guide forthcoming decisions. This included considering further options to undertake work without decanting and looking at doing work over a shorter period. The statement reaffirmed the Commissions’ commitment to health and safety.69 The Clerk of the …

Government Response Summary

The Sponsor Body CEO and the Delivery Authority CEO accept this recommendation, stating that plans for commencing intrusive surveys are on track to start in July 2022. These surveys will provide the Delivery Authority with key structural and ground condition information as well as adding to the existing records of asbestos.

30 Conclusion Accepted

Until February 2022, the Sponsor Body was preparing a business case based on Parliament fully moving out of the Palace during the works (known as a ‘full decant’). In December 2020, the House of Commons Commission agreed to ask the Sponsor Body to consider the implications of the Commons staying …

Government Response Summary

The Sponsor Body CEO and the Delivery Authority CEO accept this recommendation, stating that plans for commencing intrusive surveys are on track to start in July 2022. These surveys will provide the Delivery Authority with key structural and ground condition information as well as adding to the existing records of asbestos.

32 Conclusion Accepted

In March 2022, the Delivery Authority explained to us that initial analysis showed that, although technically possible, continued presence would lead to higher costs and 74 C&AG’s Report, para 3.24 75 C&AG’s Report, Figure 12 and para 3.27 76 C&AG’s Report, para 3.25 77 HC1100 Qq 141–142, HC49 Q59 78 …

Government Response Summary

The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments agree with the Committee’s recommendation regarding risk thresholds, stating that risk management processes are already in place. The Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority accepted the recommendation to progress the intrusive surveys, stating that they are on track to start in July 2022.

34 Conclusion Accepted

In our May evidence session we asked the Delivery Authority whether, given its earlier analysis of continued presence options, it was comfortable developing these current options. The Delivery Authority told us that it had agreed a task brief to respond to a new and different question on the issue of …

Government Response Summary

The Sponsor Body CEO and the Delivery Authority CEO accept the recommendation to progress the intrusive surveys during the summer to determine what the asbestos removal plan should be, including whether it is safe to remain in the Palace whilst these works take place, and this is already being implemented, with plans for commencing intrusive surveys on track to start in July 2022.

39 Conclusion Accepted

We reiterated that significant developments with the Programme should be fully in the public domain and received a commitment from the Clerk of the House, that the House will always be told when there is a significant development with the Programme.106 94 HM Treasury, Managing Public Money, May 2021, Box …

Government Response Summary

The Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Parliaments agree with the Committee’s recommendation, stating that the revised safety escalation protocols were implemented on 6 April 2022 and will be reviewed. They have reviewed and updated the existing safety escalation arrangements, implemented improved protocols, delivered training to key staff, and scheduled further reviews.

40 Conclusion Accepted

Following the House administrations being three months late sharing information about a recent asbestos incident, the Clerk of the House acknowledged staff should have been notified earlier.108 We heard relevant trade union representatives were informed on 15 February, five days after the report to the Health and Safety Executive.109 The …

Government Response Summary

The Clerks agree with the Committee’s recommendation, having implemented revised safety escalation protocols on 6 April 2022 and scheduled a review of their effectiveness for October 2022 with annual reviews thereafter.