A report by Labour peer and former cabinet minister Peter Hain warns that Parliament may face a Notre Dame-style inferno if restoration work is not accelerated
More than 1,000 incidents of asbestos have been discovered in the Parliament, and at least 44 fires have broken out over the past decade, according to recently released figures. These details were disclosed to Labour peer and former cabinet minister Peter Hain, who has repeatedly warned that Parliament may face a Notre Dame-style inferno if restoration work is not accelerated.
In 2024 alone, there were four fires in the Palace of Westminster and 13 since 2020, although the number of incidents dropped significantly during the pandemic when the estate was in limited use. In 2016, there were 10 fires.
Parliamentary authorities revealed to Lord Hain that asbestos materials had been found in 1,057 items. The report stated that management surveys are ongoing to identify and monitor the presence of asbestos-containing materials to determine whether they need to be continually monitored or removed if at risk of disturbance.
“Detailed processes are in place to support safe invasive works, including support from an asbestos analytical consultant and the removal of asbestos-containing materials via a licensed asbestos removal contractor,” said the deputy Lords speaker, John Gardiner, in his reply to Hain.
Hain argued that it is time to consider a faster programme of works to decant and restore Parliament, a decision that is now unlikely to be taken until the end of the year. “Along with persistent and regular fire outbreaks – 44 recorded over the last 10 years – which could erupt at any time and burn down Parliament, the whole Palace of Westminster is infested with asbestos,” Hain said.
“Over 1,000 cases of such a real and present danger to MPs, peers, staff, and visitors have been identified. This iconic world heritage site should be decanted, renewed, and restored as soon as possible, as both the Commons and Lords agreed years ago. We are otherwise working in a potential Notre Dame inferno compounded by a potentially lethal asbestosis threat.”
Lord Gardiner confirmed in December that the new plans for the restoration would only be available later this year, which Hain described as “another kick of the can further down the road.” The proposals are expected to include three options: a full decant of the Palace of Westminster, a continued presence in the building for some parliamentarians, or a rolling programme of enhanced maintenance and improvement.
A vote is expected in both houses on the plans when they are finally delivered, with MPs likely to be bitterly divided on whether it is essential to leave the building, the cheapest option. All options under consideration are expected to cost billions. The fastest option – which could still take more than a decade – would involve both houses leaving the palace and relocating nearby on a temporary basis, estimated to cost between £7bn and £13bn. The most costly option, a rolling programme of works, is likely to take many decades, potentially up to 70 years.
A report released in 2023 by the Public Accounts Committee said that after decades of broad consensus on the critical need to repair and restore the Palace of Westminster, progress has been painfully slow with “years of procrastination” and significant parliamentary decisions being reopened and overturned. The Committee said that, to date, the focus has been on Members of Parliament rather than the thousands of staff and visitors who use the building.
The Committee called it “incredible” that, five years after the House determined a course of action, questions about what a restored palace might look like and how the work would be undertaken remain unanswered. The timeframe and cost also remain uncertain, except that the cost will be high and further delays are hugely costly to the taxpayer. Parliament is spending up to £2 million a week patching up the Palace but there is still a growing list of health and safety incidents, including some involving asbestos.
