WESTMINSTER PALACE HEADING FOR DISASTER WITHOUT RESTORATION

LONDON, NOVEMBER 4 /SRNA/ – Britain's centuries-old Houses of Parliament risk a Notre-Dame-style fire or another catastrophe if lawmakers keep delaying a major restoration project, members of the Public Accounts Committee have warned.

A crumbling facade, outdated electrical wiring, frequent leaks and high levels of asbestos are just some of the problems facing the Palace of Westminster, parts of which are more than 900 years old.

Restoring the UNESCO World Heritage site will cost billions of pounds, but lawmakers have spent years unable to agree on how to proceed, AFP reported.

The committee said delays are driving up costs and increasing the risk of a catastrophic failure that would damage national morale and Britain's reputation.

Most of the palace, including the world-famous Elizabeth Tower, better known as Big Ben, was built in the 1800s, during the reign of Queen Victoria.

In 2018, lawmakers voted to move out of parliament to allow costly repairs, but disagreements later arose over whether the work was needed.

A series of votes in the House of Commons and the House of Lords on the so-called Restoration and Renewal program is due by the end of the year.

The options include a "full decant", costing around 15.6 billion pounds and taking up to 24 years, during which both houses would move out of the building.

Another option is a "partial decant" with enhanced maintenance and improvements, under which more than 30 percent of staff would remain on site. That option would cost an estimated 39 billion pounds and take around 61 years.

Under current estimates, work could begin in 2032.