Nineteenth Report - Restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster

Select Committee
Public Accounts Committee HC 549 5 October 2020
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 24 items (9 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 24 of 24 classified)
Deferred 22
Not Addressed 2
Government response
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Nineteenth report from Session 2019-21 · published 18 Nov 2020
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Recommendations & Conclusions

24 results
2 Recommendation Deferred
We are concerned that re-opening decisions made earlier in the Programme risks further delays.
Recommendation
We are concerned that re-opening decisions made earlier in the Programme risks further delays. In May 2020, the newly formed Sponsor Body announced a strategic review to re-examine options for the Programme to consider whether anything has changed, either politically, … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the committee directly.
HM Treasury
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3 Recommendation Deferred
Successful delivery of the Programme is heavily reliant on many factors which are still uncertain.
Recommendation
Successful delivery of the Programme is heavily reliant on many factors which are still uncertain. The Programme is at an early stage and there are many uncertainties yet to be addressed. The Sponsor Body and Palace authorities have limited information … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the committee directly.
HM Treasury
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4 Recommendation Deferred
The Programme is also dependent on several factors outside the Sponsor Body’s control.
Recommendation
The Programme is also dependent on several factors outside the Sponsor Body’s control. The parliamentary estates team is currently responsible for the refurbishment of parliament’s Northern Estate, which includes the planned Commons decant chamber at Richmond House. No decision has … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the committee directly.
HM Treasury
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5 Recommendation Deferred
The Sponsor Body has not made it clear how it will balance Parliament’s range of...
Recommendation
The Sponsor Body has not made it clear how it will balance Parliament’s range of views on the Programme. The Sponsor Body will have to balance a wide variety of views from groups of Members within both the House of … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses directly to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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6 Recommendation Not Addressed
The Sponsor Body has not engaged sufficiently with the public and other Palace users to...
Recommendation
The Sponsor Body has not engaged sufficiently with the public and other Palace users to understand what they want from a modern parliament building. The Palace of Westminster is symbol of British democracy. Around 5,000 people work in the Palace … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government's response provides background on the establishment of the Programme and lists past Treasury Minutes responses, but it does not address the specific recommendation for the Sponsor Body to publish an engagement strategy within one month.
HM Treasury
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1 Conclusion Not Addressed
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...
Conclusion
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence about the Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme (the Programme) from the Sponsor Body, the Delivery Authority, the Clerks of both Houses and the … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government's response provides an unrelated list of DHSC officials and details on adult social care provision, entirely failing to address the conclusion about the Palace of Westminster Programme.
HM Treasury
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7 Conclusion Deferred
Since the establishment of the Programme in 2012, it has taken 8 years to the...
Conclusion
Since the establishment of the Programme in 2012, it has taken 8 years to the establishment of the Sponsor Body. Each year that passes increases the risk to life, failure of key utilities or irreparable damage to the building itself, … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the Committee directly, effectively redirecting the conclusion.
HM Treasury
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8 Conclusion Deferred
The Sponsor Body did not want to commit to when the Programme might commence construction...
Conclusion
The Sponsor Body did not want to commit to when the Programme might commence construction work until the business case is complete.14 However, the Clerk of the House of Commons told us that “doing nothing is very expensive” and that … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses directly to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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9 Conclusion Deferred
In May 2020, the Sponsor body announced a strategic review; it expects to report in...
Conclusion
In May 2020, the Sponsor body announced a strategic review; it expects to report in the autumn.16 The Sponsor Body told us that the object of the review was to test whether the assumptions of the Joint Committee’s work have … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses directly to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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10 Recommendation Deferred
The continual re-opening of decisions risks delaying the Programme even further with the concomitant risks...
Recommendation
The continual re-opening of decisions risks delaying the Programme even further with the concomitant risks to personal safety, the Palace structure and taxpayer money. We asked the Clerk of the House of Commons on what basis decisions would be opened … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses directly to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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11 Conclusion Deferred
The Programme is at an early stage with a large number of uncertainties.
Conclusion
The Programme is at an early stage with a large number of uncertainties. The actual condition of the Palace, for which there is a lack of documentation, is unknown.22 For Parliament to return to the refurbished Palace in the 2030s … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses directly to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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12 Conclusion Deferred
The Sponsor Body considers that the current biggest risk to the Programme is uncertainty on...
Conclusion
The Sponsor Body considers that the current biggest risk to the Programme is uncertainty on the condition of the building, meaning that it is currently unclear as to the scale of the work required.25 The Sponsor Body told us that … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the committee directly.
HM Treasury
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13 Conclusion Deferred
The current expectation is that during the Programme, the Commons will decant to Richmond House.
Conclusion
The current expectation is that during the Programme, the Commons will decant to Richmond House. The project to develop Richmond House, which the Sponsor Body told us is “absolutely key” in terms of delivering Restoration and Renewal, is part of … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses directly to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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14 Recommendation Deferred
The Sponsor Body told us that there is currently no clarity “about whether some, all...
Recommendation
The Sponsor Body told us that there is currently no clarity “about whether some, all or none of [the NEP] comes across to the Sponsor Body” and if it does, at what stage of the Programme.33 It is vital that … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses directly to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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15 Conclusion Deferred
In addition to the NEP, the parliamentary estates team is currently managing other projects, such...
Conclusion
In addition to the NEP, the parliamentary estates team is currently managing other projects, such as the relocation of the archives from Victoria Tower, and the £100 million project to replace the Palace’s cast iron roofs.35 Day-to-day maintenance of the … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses directly to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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16 Conclusion Deferred
The Director General of the House of Commons told us that the House and the...
Conclusion
The Director General of the House of Commons told us that the House and the Sponsor Body were working together to avoid spending on projects that would subsequently be replaced by the Programme.37 However, we heard from the Clerk of … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the committee directly.
HM Treasury
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17 Conclusion Deferred
As a Parliamentary rather than government project, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) has no...
Conclusion
As a Parliamentary rather than government project, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) has no formal role in reviewing the Programme. However, in February 2020 the Sponsor Body and Parliament commissioned an independent review of the Sponsor Body’s readiness to … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses directly to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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18 Conclusion Deferred
The Sponsor Body has not yet developed cost and time estimates as it is unclear...
Conclusion
The Sponsor Body has not yet developed cost and time estimates as it is unclear what the Programme is delivering, or when. It expects to develop these as part of the business case, after building its understanding of uncertainties.43 The … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the committee directly.
HM Treasury
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19 Conclusion Deferred
While almost all Members of Parliament agree that restoration is necessary, there is not agreement...
Conclusion
While almost all Members of Parliament agree that restoration is necessary, there is not agreement on what should be done and how.45 The 2018 motion agreeing to a complete decant during the works passed by 16 votes, and did not … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the Committee directly, effectively redirecting the conclusion.
HM Treasury
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20 Conclusion Deferred
Most recently, in July 2020, the Prime Minister wrote to the Sponsor Body and the...
Conclusion
Most recently, in July 2020, the Prime Minister wrote to the Sponsor Body and the Delivery Authority to suggest that they consider York as a potential location for Parliament while the Programme is undertaken as the government was considering establishing … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the committee directly.
HM Treasury
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21 Conclusion Deferred
The Sponsor Body told us that it has established a challenge panel, as part of...
Conclusion
The Sponsor Body told us that it has established a challenge panel, as part of its strategic review. We heard from the Sponsor Body that it is intended as a “mechanism for us to test ideas, to mitigate the risk … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the committee directly.
HM Treasury
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22 Conclusion Deferred
In May, the Sponsor Body published its Member consultation strategy as required under the legislation,...
Conclusion
In May, the Sponsor Body published its Member consultation strategy as required under the legislation, to which Members, Members’ staff and staff of both Houses were invited to contribute. However, the Sponsor Body acknowledged that consultation and the achievement of … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the committee directly.
HM Treasury
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23 Recommendation Deferred
The Sponsor Body has not finalised its overarching engagement strategy and has yet to develop...
Recommendation
The Sponsor Body has not finalised its overarching engagement strategy and has yet to develop a plan of how it will engage with members of the public on the Programme. The Palace of Westminster is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses directly to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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24 Recommendation Deferred
The Sponsor Body is currently considering how it might best approach a public engagement strategy.53...
Recommendation
The Sponsor Body is currently considering how it might best approach a public engagement strategy.53 As a key stakeholder, it is imperative that the public are involved as soon as possible in the discussion as to what a modern Parliament … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Sponsor Body is not a government body and will provide responses to the Committee directly, redirecting the recommendation for public engagement.
HM Treasury
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