Peter Hain, who was a cabinet minister under Tony Blair and leader of the House 2003-05, said the restoration of the Paris cathedral showed how fast work could be done when politicians acted decisively.
He said that the confirmation by John Gardiner, the senior deputy speaker in the Lords, that the new plans would only be available later in the year were "another kick of the can further down the road."
"The mother of parliaments, a world heritage site, is ripe for becoming a Notre Dame inferno unless MPs and peers act immediately," Lord Hain told the Guardian.
"Both Houses made their decision to decant, repair and modernise many years ago. Yet the procrastination goes on despite the assessment that decanting is the cheaper option. It would save billions. President Macron acted decisively to rebuild and restore Notre Dame. We should do the same with Westminster."
The proposals will include plans for three options - a full decant of the Palace of Westminster, a continued presence in the building for some parliamentarians or for a rolling programme of enhanced maintenance and improvement.
This story is from the January 01, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the January 01, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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