Taxpayers forked out over £260,000 for a simple mesh netting to be installed in a Parliamentary office building after a glass roof panel fractured and covered staff in rainwater last year.
After the embarrassing incident in the ‘Mother of Parliaments’, the Commons announced it would be undertaking new safety mitigations after the immediate repair works last year.
The new mesh netting, installed under the atrium roof of Portcullis House (PCH), will hopefully provide “an additional layer of protection” for MPs and aides.
A freedom of information request has now revealed that the simple netting, already installed, set Parliament back a whopping £220,000, plus VAT.
The exorbitant cost comes after warnings the restoration and renewal project in the main 19th-century palace could cost £22billion and take 76 years.
Beyond the constant threat of plumbing problems, broken lifts and vermin in the palace, MPs may have hoped that the modern, glass section of the estate, completed in 2001, would be a safe refuge.
Last year catastrophe hit ‘PCH’ after a “gallon” of water was dumped on unsuspecting workers, causing chaos.
The farce played out after an enormous crack opened up in the impressive skylight, caused by hot weather expanding the glass.
One observer who captured footage of the water pouring in commented that no one was hurt, “but a laptop and a leather sofa have seen better days”.
A journalist joked: “If you’re coming to PCH, bring your bathers. It’s an absolute lido in here.”
PCH came in at a total cost of £235million and was completed nine years behind schedule.
The total was £60million over that originally budgeted, and it’s seen a number of serious breakages since then.
In 2016, a 12-month £210,000 technical study commission by the House of Commons said the roof was “stable and posed no safety risk”.
However panels have fallen out in the past, caused by “seasonal variations”.
The report said “breakages would reduce over time”, but warned up to £1.5million may have to be spent repairing the glass-panelled roof.
A year later, it was warned that the bill could in fact come to £100million.
Other faults have included the £150,000 decorative fig trees having to be removed as they kept falling over, and the removal of expensive water features after similar faults.
Parliament recently installed new plants, at an unknown cost.
