Put MPs on a raft in river as we rebuild Parliament!
Bizarre plan for Westminster
A PROPOSAL to put MPs and peers in temporary offices floating on rafts in the Thames was put forward during discussions on a multibillion-pound renovation of Westminster.
Under the plans, the rebuilding of the Commons and Lords chambers would have seen floating buildings spaning the full width of the river.
But the bizarre idea was scuppered by a committee of MPs and Lords which warned of ‘several problems’.
‘There would be significant security challenges’ if Parliament was to be rebuilt in the middle of the river on a raft, the committee’s report said.
It also warned that the giant rafts would severely ‘impede the passage of river traffic’.
The committee said that both Houses of Parliament were so riddled with Victorian-era pipes and hazardous wiring and cabling that they will have to be evacuated for six to eight years to avoid catastrophe.
A full so-called ‘decant’ option was likely to cost close to £4billion, it warned, but this was the cheapest and safest way to remove asbestos and other hazardous materials.
Alternative venues would have to be found so the work of Parliament could continue. But the committee ruled out moving Parliament to Birmingham or anywhere else outside London, saying ministers had to be close to both chambers and their Whitehall departments.
Alternative venues such as Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and Banqueting House could be used for ceremonies such as the State Opening of Parliament. The royal Household would also have to be consulted on what happens if a senior royal dies during the lengthy refurbishment. Traditionally, senior royal figures would lie in state in Westminster Hall but this would be sealed off for works.
During the refurbishment, which will not start until 2022, the committee proposed that MPs be dispatched to the current Department of Health site in Whitehall. They would also hold on to the modern wing of Westminster, Portcullis House. The Lords would be sent to the conference venue, the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, opposite Westminster Abbey. Chris Bryant, Labour MP and cochairman of the committee, said the project would represent an ‘opportunity’ for British tradesmen.
He added that this was ‘not a vanity project’ but essential work.
Mr Bryant said the palace had 3,800 bronze windows which had to be made to work for the future. While Parliament did not want to ‘spend a penny more than necessary, he added: ‘We are not going to be suddenly installing windows from Anglian.’
But experts have warned the project could be delayed by a severe shortage of skilled craftsmen.