‘Real and rising risk’ of disaster at Westminster

Crumbling Westminster faces a “real and ­rising risk” it will be destroyed by a catastrophic event before it is restored, MPs have warned.

The Public Accounts Committee said critical repairs have been “painfully slow with years of procrastination”.

According to its report, £2million is spent “patching up” parts of the estate every week while the “list of health and safety incidents grows”.

Westminster Hall, the oldest part ­of the Palace of Westminster, was­ built in 1097.

Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier said: “After years of procrastination and debate, resolutions of the House overturned and the exploding costs we saw in restoring just the Elizabeth Tower, it is difficult to have confidence in the future of the project to repair and restore this iconic world heritage site that thousands of people work in and visit every day.

“But without Parliament and the public having that confidence these critical works will continue to stall, with the real risk that the whole building will be destroyed by a catastrophic incident before the work is done, or perhaps even begun.

“There are already people on decades-long risk watchlists after being exposed to asbestos in the building; a building that’s leaking, dropping masonry and at constant risk of fire.”

She added that the committee expects a clear indication of the cost and timeline for getting the repairs done before it is too late.

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