The Queen needs a new place to open Parliament when Westminster shuts for £4bn refurb

THE Queen’s speech to officially open parliament each year will have to be moved while a £4billion refurb project is underway at the Palace of Westminster.

Both MPs and Lords will have to move out of the House of Commons and the House of Lords for the works, which are expected to take up to eight years.

Discussions are now underway to find an alternative venue for the official State opening of Parliament as it is thought neither of the locations where the politicians will be housed will be suitable for such an occasion.

A parliamentary committee report states: “It might be necessary for Parliament to use another building (separate from either temporary Chamber) for large occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament.

“This is an issue which the two Houses will need to consider in further detail in conjunction with other stakeholders, such as the Royal Household.

“In all instances, we are confident that it will be possible for suitable dignified alternative arrangements to be made for all of the ceremonial events which take place in Parliament.”

The renovation works at the Palace of Westminster are necessary because it faces a growing risk of a “catastrophic event” unless essential works are carried out to renovate the historic building, a parliamentary committee has warned.

Under the plans, which could cost around £4 billion, the Commons chamber would be moved to the Department of Health’s current offices, while the Lords would sit in the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre.

The joint committee on the Palace of Westminster warned that the decision on how to repair Parliament could not be delayed any further and suggested that work should start in 2023.

Their report said: “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.”

A study by Deloitte last year highlighted the appalling condition of the Palace, with potentially deadly fire risks, collapsing roofs, crumbling walls, leaking pipes and large quantities of asbestos.

The committee rejected the option of trying to carry out repair work without leaving the building, or completing the renovations in stages with each chamber moving out in turn.

The “full decant” option, with both Houses moving out temporarily, was estimated by Deloitte to cost between £3 billion and £4.3 billion, with the most likely figure being around £3.5 billion.

The joint committee’s report said that, although there was “extensive erosion and water damage” to the Palace of Westminster, there was no risk of the building collapsing.

But there were major problems with the services and utilities which had been installed in the building, some of which dated back to the mid-1800s when the Palace was built and many more of which had reached the end of their working life in the 1970s and 1980s.

“The main problem lies in the building’s mechanical and electrical services: the vast network of pipes, cables and machinery that carry heat, ventilation, air conditioning, power, water, data and dozens of other essential services around the building,” the report said.

“Many of these systems were replaced in the late 1940s and reached the end of their projected life in the 1970s and 1980s.

“The patch-and-mend approach which has seen the building through the decades since then is no longer sustainable. Intervention on a much larger scale is now required.

“Unless an intensive programme of major remedial work is undertaken soon, it is likely that the building will become uninhabitable.”

Downing Street said Theresa May is yet to see the report.

The Prime Minister’s official spokeswoman said: “The PM’s view is that we should carefully consider the proposals and will want to hear the views of MPs before deciding on the direction.”