Question

To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the Restoration and Renewal Client Board, with reference to the costed proposals report and in particular the proposed new main security entrance and enhanced search and screening facilities, what assessment it has made of whether existing security infrastructure could be upgraded without major structural reconfiguration; what proportion of total Programme cost is attributable to the creation of new security entrance infrastructure; whether security services formally requested this as an operational requirement; and whether a staged upgrade to current screening arrangements was evaluated as a lower-cost alternative.

The preferred scope for all options under the Restoration and Renewal (R&R) Programme will deliver a fit-for-purpose and accessible visitor arrival space, including higher capacity security search and screen areas that will reduce the likelihood of queuing outside, A wide range of potential locations within the Palace were assessed for the search and screening facility, including enhancing the current arrangements. The search and screening facility is proposed within a structure that is already part of the broader programme of works to create new plant space. The location has been selected to improve secure routes through the Palace and support new accessible visitor routes. Because of this it would be difficult to construct in stages or to retain the current search and screening location for now and relocate it in future without significant disruption, inefficiency, or duplicated cost.

Overall security measures account for 3% of Palace construction costs across all options. This is set out in Annex B of the Restoration and Renewal (R&R) Client Board’s recent report, Delivering restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster: the costed proposals (HC Paper 1576).