{"id":37761,"date":"2023-10-06T16:49:18","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T15:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogsnew.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=37761"},"modified":"2023-10-06T16:49:18","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T15:49:18","slug":"the-palace-of-westminster-restoration-and-renewal-programme-recent-developments-and-next-steps-summary-from-parliament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=37761","title":{"rendered":"The Palace of Westminster restoration and renewal programme: Recent developments and next steps \u2013 summary from Parliament"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"In advance of a House of Lords debate on a shortlist of delivery options under the Palace of Westminster\u2019s \u2018Restoration and Renewal\u2019 programme, scheduled for 18 October 2023, Parliament has issued a discussion and guidance article.<\/h3>\n

Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament<\/em><\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

\u2026 phase one of the programme would culminate in a fully costed proposal being presented to both Houses\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

UK Parliament writes:<\/p>\n

The restoration and renewal programme was created to preserve the Palace of Westminster. In 2022, the commissions of the House of Commons and House of Lords decided to change its governance structure. The progress made in implementing these changes and progressing the programme is outlined in its first annual report, published in July 2023. This article gives an overview of the history of the programme and provides a summary of its annual report. It also highlights plans for both Houses to debate a shortlist of delivery options before the end of 2023.<\/p>\n

On 18 October 2023, the House of Lords is scheduled to debate the following motion:<\/p>\n

“The senior deputy speaker to move that the Grand Committee takes note of the report from the corporate officer of the House of Commons and the corporate officer of the House of Lords, \u2018Restoration and renewal: Annual progress report 2023\u2019 (HC 1603).”<\/p>\n

1. Background: Parliament\u2019s restoration and renewal programme<\/h2>\n

1.1 Initial governance structure<\/h3>\n

It is widely accepted that the Palace of Westminster needs substantial repair and restoration work to preserve the site and ensure it can continue to be the home of the UK Parliament. As a result, in recent years Parliament has looked to agree a scheme of works to address the problems:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • September 2016:\u00a0The Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster published a report\u00a0setting out options for the restoration and renewal (R&R) of the palace.<\/li>\n
  • January 2018:\u00a0The House of Commons agreed a motion approving the next steps of work on R&R. This included an endorsement of the joint committee\u2019s recommendation for the palace to be totally vacated to allow the works to take place (\u2018full decant\u2019).<\/li>\n
  • October 2019:\u00a0The Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019\u00a0provided for a sponsor body to take responsibility for the programme of works. This was made up of a team of staff and a sponsor board, which included parliamentarians and set the strategic direction of the sponsor body. This body acted in shadow form from July 2018 until April 2020, when it was formally established by the act receiving royal assent. The act also provided for a delivery authority to be responsible for managing the programme.<\/li>\n
  • March 2021:\u00a0The sponsor body published its strategic review report, which recommended a full decant of the palace.<\/li>\n
  • April 2021:\u00a0The House of Commons Commission asked the sponsor body to assess the impact of maintaining a continued presence in the palace\u00a0throughout the works.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    1.2 Concerns over costs and timings<\/h3>\n

    As requested by the House of Commons Commission,\u00a0the sponsor body produced the requested initial assessment. This was considered by the sponsor board and commissions of the House of Commons and House of Lords in December 2021 and January 2022.<\/p>\n

    The estimates at that time suggested that the \u2018essential scheme\u2019 (the full decant of the palace) would cost between \u00a37bn and \u00a313bn (excluding VAT) and take between 19 and 28 years, with the palace needing to be vacated for 12 to 20 years. The initial assessment also outlined a \u2018continued presence\u2019 study which found that if parliamentarians remained in the building, both the costs and time taken would increase. It also identified \u201ca number of key risks of a continued presence\u201d approach which it argued would need to be addressed. These included fire safety, compliance with health and safety legislation and disruption to parliamentary business.<\/p>\n

    The House of Commons Commission expressed concerns about the estimated costs and schedule\u00a0and asked the clerk of the House of Commons to prepare a paper on \u201cpotential next steps\u201d.\u00a0The House of Lords Commission also expressed concerns about the length of the decant period\u00a0and asked the R&R programme to explore how it could be reduced. The Lords commission also noted the \u201csignificant impact\u201d of a maintained Commons presence as well as the associated risks. It therefore agreed not to endorse any further work on the continued presence options and to communicate this to the House of Commons.<\/p>\n

    1.3 A new approach<\/h3>\n

    In February 2022, the House of Commons Commission proposed changes to the governance and approach of the R&R programme. It suggested that the sponsor body be replaced with a new, separate department to service both Houses, known as the client team. This would report, ultimately, to the commissions. Within this model,\u00a0the sponsor board would be replaced by a new two-tiered governance structure. This approach was agreed in\u00a0a joint meeting of the commissions in March 2022. Also agreed were plans to seek independent advice and assurance on the new approach to the works, as well as on the proposals to take forward the decision to replace the sponsor body.<\/p>\n

    In a joint report in June 2022, the commissions of both Houses set out their proposals for a new mandate for the R&R programme. In July 2022, both Houses of Parliament agreed to implement the recommendations of this joint report and therefore endorsed\u00a0a new two-tier member oversight structure\u00a0that would:<\/p>\n

    [\u2026] “integrate the governance of the R&R programme into the existing governance structures in Parliament, bringing the sponsor function in-house and maintaining the independence of the delivery authority.”<\/p>\n

    In a debate in the House of Lords in July 2022, the then Lord Privy Seal and leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, explained these proposed changes. She said that they would enable work to be completed to produce the strategic case which would set out options for further development. This would be presented to both Houses by the end of 2023.<\/p>\n

    The two-tier structure\u00a0agreed, which replaced the sponsor board, includes:<\/p>\n