MPs dropped a clanger on steel for Big Ben job
ThE appalling decision to use foreign steel for the £61 million renovation of big ben’s clock tower — which will be silent for four years during the works — has already been condemned by Mps.
but now it’s emerged that british steel manufacturers never stood a chance of winning the contract for the extensive steel scaffolding that now surrounds the Elizabeth Tower (right). Tom brake, lib Dem Mp in charge of the commons commission, let the cat out of the bag.
In a written answer he claimed: ‘It would have been unlawful to impose a requirement for the material used to be british. The public contracts Regulations 2015 prohibit [us] from insisting on the use of products “of a specific origin”.’
The contract for the refurbishment had been awarded to developers Sir Robert McAlpine who promised to ‘achieve the most economically advantageous outcome’ — so they opted for cheaper steel from Germany, brazil and the united Arab Emirates. The palace authorities ignored the 2012 public Service (Social Value) Act which requires the benefit to local communities and businesses to be considered ahead of mere cost when awarding public contracts. ‘The Act’s provisions cannot formally be applied to parliamentary contracts,’ brake claimed. no wonder labour Mp Stephen Kinnock, whose Aberavon constituency is home to the giant port Talbot steel plant, called on parliament to adopt a ‘patriotic procurement policy’ so that ‘british steel, the best steel that money can buy, made right here on our doorstep’ is used in future.