UK MPs to move out as ‘mother of all parliaments’ needs repair

LONDON: It is called the ‘mother of all parliaments’, but the ancient structure by the Thames is in need of urgent repair, prompting a parliamentary committee to

LONDON: It is called the ‘mother of all parliaments’, but the ancient structure by the Thames is in need of urgent repair, prompting a parliamentary committee to suggest that all MPs and lords “decant” to temporary accommodation for some years while the repair is carried out.

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The committee on restoration and renovation of the palace of Westminster has suggested that “complete decant” of the palace for the duration of the repair work is the best option.

“The Palace of Westminster, a masterpiece of Victorian and medieval architecture and engineering, faces an impending crisis which we cannot responsibly ignore. It is impossible to say when this will happen, but there is a substantial and growing risk of either a single, catastrophic event, such as a major fire, or a succession of incremental failures in essential systems which would lead to Parliament no longer being able to occupy the Palace,” the committee said.

It said those who work in the building will be all too familiar with stories of flooding, power failures, fire hazards, freezing-cold rooms in the winter and boiling-hot offices in the summer. Committee members said the decision to repair could not be postponed any longer to protect one of the most important parts of Britain’s national heritage.

There is a clear need to tackle the work required to the building and to do so in a comprehensive and strategic manner, it said.