Parliamentary committee warns of fire risk at Westminster Palace

A UK parliamentary committee has warned that the Palace of Westminster could suffer a catastrophic fire if repairs do not begin soon. The committee compared the risk to the Notre Dame cathedral fire in Paris. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is over 150 years old.

MPs agreed in 2018 to leave the building so that major restoration work could start, but disagreements have stopped any progress. The committee says that every year of delay adds £420 million to the total bill. Weekly running costs are also expected to rise from £1.5 million to £2 million.

Two options exist for the work. A full restoration would cost up to £15.6 billion over 24 years. Keeping the building running with extra maintenance could cost up to £39 billion over 61 years.