A committee is going to recommend that MPs are moved out of the Houses of Parliament for six years, allowing for extensive restoration work to take place.
In a report due to be released on Thursday, the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster is expected to conclude that MPs should be rehomed in the Department of Health's building, while peers work in the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre.
The Times reports that the Prime Minister is in favour of the move, meaning that a parliamentary vote on the relocation is more likely to pass.
If approved, the committee's recommendation will be that the Houses of Parliament lie empty between 2022 and 2028.
A study into the condition of the Palace of Westminster last year uncovered potentially fatal fire hazards, large quantities of asbestos and leaking pipes.
It is likely that a six-year restoration would cost between £3bn and £4.3bn.
However, repairs would take about 32 years and could cost taxpayers as much as £7.1bn if they were completed while MPs and peers continued to sit in Parliament.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said Number 10 would respond after the publication of the committee's report.
No comments:
Post a Comment