Civil servants spend £108 million on Parliament renovation before work begins

Officials have spent £108.75 million on the renovation of Parliament since 2020, before any actual work has started. This spending includes £28 million on surveys and £60 million on staffing costs related to the Restoration and Renewal programme. The project, expected to last decades and cost over £20 billion, involves assessing the Palace of Westminster's condition. Recent surveys included drone inspections and borehole examinations. The government is also considering temporary locations for the House of Lords during renovations. In 2024, the government reversed a previous decision and designated the Queen Elizabeth II conference center as the preferred temporary site for the Lords. MPs will vote on various relocation proposals later this year.