DILEMMA: IS IT TIME TO MOVE THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT? Friday 13 October 2017

THE BIG DEBATE

THE BIG DEBATE: Is it time to move the Houses of Parliament?

THE DILEMMAThe Palace of Westminster, the home of British politics and democracy, is in need of a major refurbishment. The site, which contains the House of Commons and House of Lords, where politicians do their work, as well as the famous Big Ben bell, has had no major works done to it since the late 19th century, when it was rebuilt after a fire.

The restoration of the Elizabeth Tower, which houses the clock and Big Ben (the Great Bell), began recently. It is expected to be completed in 2021, at a total cost of £61 million – more than double the original estimate of £29 million!

But this is just the beginning. The refurbishment of the entire parliamentary estate will likely cost several billion pounds. This would be ‘public money’, which means it comes mostly from taxes paid by ordinary people.

Exact timings, costs and what will be renovated is to be debated in Parliament soon, but it is thought that building work will not begin until the 2020s at the earliest. The Members of Parliament (MPs) will have to leave the building while renovation takes place – possibly for as long as ten years.

Is it really worth spending billions fixing an old, damaged building? Or would the money be better spent on other things, such as schools, hospitals and public transport? Would we be better off turning the Palace of Westminster into a tourist spot and moving Parliament to a new building fit for the 21st century?

Renovation work has begun on the Elizabeth Tower, home to Big Ben

DILEMMA: IS IT TIME TO MOVE THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT? Friday 13 October 2017

THE BIG DEbate

THE opinions

“I am flabbergasted. If you were building your house and the builders said it would cost £29,000 and a few months later they said ‘it is now £61,000’, you would have every right to be angry. I hope the authorities are looking at the

cost control of this project.”

Peter Bone, Conservative MP

ASBESTOS – This became a popular building material in the mid-20th century. It is now known that asbestos can cause very serious lung diseases, including cancer, when its fibres are released into the air and inhaled.

GLOSSARY

“Since its construction in the mid-1800s, many features have never undergone major renovation, and the heating, ventilation, water, drainage and electrical systems are now extremely antiquated [old]. Asbestos is present throughout, and major improvements to fire safety are needed. Currently, the speed at which the work can be carried out is slower than the rate at which the building is deteriorating, therefore the backlog of essential repairs, and in turn the risk of system failure, is growing significantly over time.”

Statement on the Houses of Parliament website

DILEMMA: IS IT TIME TO MOVE THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT? Friday 13 October 2017

THE BIG DEBATE

facts & figuresThe current Palace of Westminster buildings were built between these dates

More than 1 million people visit the Palace of Westminster every year, including 100,000 schoolchildren

The total cost of the refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster is not yet known – but it is thought it could be as much as

1870 1840

As well as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace of Westminster includes 3 towers, 1 chapel, and 1 Robing Room, where the Queen prepares for the State Opening of Parliament

Towers

Chapels

Robing Rooms

Big Ben will not chime regularly for 4 years

The Elizabeth Tower contains 11 floors and a lantern at the top called the

1110

987654321

Ayrton Light

The Great Clock has 4 sides and 4 sets of dials: the minute hands each weigh 100 kg and are 4.2 metres long. The hour hands weigh 300 kg each and are 2.7m long!

300kg

200kg

100kg

50kg

0kgMinute hands

Hour hands

HAND WEIGHT

1m 2m 3m 4m 5m 6m

HAND LENGTH

650 MPs sit in the House of Commons and there are 799 members of the House of Lords

£7 BILLION

The Great Bell is also known as Big Ben

Construction has begun

DILEMMA: IS IT TIME TO MOVE THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT? Friday 13 October 2017

THE BIG DEbate

palace of westminster timeline

11TH CENTURY – The original Palace of Westminster is built.

1605 – Guy Fawkes and a group of English Catholics plot to blow up Parliament to protest their treatment by the Protestants. The plot is discovered just in time – 36 barrels of gunpowder are found in the cellar directly below where King James would have been sitting for the opening of Parliament the next day. The Gunpowder Plot’s failure is still celebrated every year on 5 November with firework displays, bonfires and the burning of effigies of Fawkes.

1834 – A fire destroys most of the Palace of Westminster building.

1840 – Construction begins on the current Houses of Parliament.

1852 – The new House of Commons is used for the first time.

1870 – Construction of the new Palace of Westminster is completed.

1950 – The reconstruction of the House of Commons is completed.

1989 – TV cameras are allowed into the Houses of Parliament for the first time.

2015 – An independent committee publishes a report that explains the need for major repairs due to several problems with the site, including electric wiring, loose asbestos and rats!

2017 – A terrorist drives his car through crowds of people on Westminster Bridge before running into the Palace of Westminster grounds. Six people, including the terrorist, die, while dozens are injured.

The restoration of the Elizabeth Tower begins.

1987 – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) designates the Palace of Westminster as a World Heritage site.

A portrait of Guy Fawkes

[PIC: GettyImages-566439853.jpg]

– £43 million [PIC: iStock-184680972.jpg]

1941 – The House of Commons is destroyed by Nazi bombers during the Second World War.

The House of Commons was wrecked during the Second World War

DILEMMA: IS IT TIME TO MOVE THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT? Friday 13 October 2017

THE BIG DEBATE

costsThe total cost of refurbishing the entire Palace of Westminster is not yet known, but it will be in the billions. Here’s how much some other parliamentary buildings built this century cost to construct from scratch:

Opened 2004

The Houses of Parliament contain a lot more politicians than the buildings above. But, even taking that into account, the cost of constructing a new building would probably be a lot less than renovating the current building. Is it a price worth paying to maintain tradition and history?

the elizabeth towerFor now, the only refurbishment that is underway is that of the Elizabeth Tower. The clock is to be dismantled piece by piece. Each and every cog will be examined and restored, the glass will be repaired and the clock hands removed and renovated. Three of the four clock faces will be covered by scaffolding for most of the refurbishment period, but one working clock face will be visible throughout the works. A substitute light will shine whilst the Ayrton Light is being repaired. On Monday 21 August 2017, Big Ben chimed for the last time until 2021. While the restoration work takes place, the chiming won’t be heard – apart from on a few special occasions, such as New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Sunday.

The three-train clock, which drives the hands of the Great Clock

Scottish Parliament £414 million (but it was 10 times over the original budget and three years late!)

[PIC: GettyImages-566439853.jpg]

– £43 million [PIC: iStock-184680972.jpg]

Welsh Assembly £70 million Opened 2006

City Hall (Home to the Greater London Authority) £43 millionOpened 2002

DILEMMA: IS IT TIME TO MOVE THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT? Friday 13 October 2017

THE BIG DEbate

what is involved inthe refurbishments?

• Replacing old heating, ventilation, electrical, water and drainage systems.

• Installing new and more advanced fire safety systems.

• Removing asbestos.

• Significantly improving disabled access, which does not currently meet modern standards.

• Repairing and enhancing the windows 4,000 in the Palace.

• Repairing the historic interiors of the buildings.

• Adjusting the internal plumbing requirements and pipework, and the external guttering.

• Replacing part of the sewage system, which was installed in 1888 and is still in use.

• Installing information and communications technology “for a 21st century Parliament”.

The Houses of Parliament website states that there are lots of essential things that need doing at the Palace of Westminster. Here’s a list of some of them:

MODERN PARLIAMENTS Although the Palace of Westminster is full of history and tradition, it’s not very practical. For example, some critics of the House of Commons design say that, having the Government MPs sat directly opposite opposition MPs creates a very hostile and confrontational atmosphere. Modern parliamentary buildings, such as the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, the Welsh Assembly, and the European Union parliament in Brussels, are built in more circular styles. This means politicians of different parties end up sitting side-by-side and are not directly opposite their opponents. Rather than refurbishing the current Houses of Parliament, why not create a new, modern building that is designed to reduce conflict and increase co-operation?

The House of Commons sits MPs opposite each other

The European Parliament’s members sit in a giant circle

move it where? London is the capital city, but it’s in the south east corner of the country. This means that it is a particularly long journey to Parliament for MPs from the north of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. If the cost of fixing the current Palace of Westminster is simply too high, it would make sense to move the complex to a new site somewhere more convenient for all the country’s MPs. That could be Birmingham, the largest city outside London, located in the middle of England. Such a move would also boost the local economy by creating jobs and tourism. The Palace of Westminster, meanwhile, could become a popular tourist spot, with every room opened up to paying visitors. Some refurbishment would still be necessary, but a lot less than if the building were to remain a fully functioning parliament.

DILEMMA: IS IT TIME TO MOVE THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT? Friday 13 October 2017

THE BIG DEBATE

YES, we should move parliament

no, leave parliament where it is

1. Refurbishment will be too expensive: Spending billions on refurbishing an old building that has several problems is not a sensible use of public money. We’d be better off building a new site altogether – and it would cost a lot less.

2. It’s a good opportunity to move beyond London: Just because it’s the capital city, it doesn’t mean everything has to be in London. A new, modern Parliament building could be located somewhere more convenient for all the politicians who work there and lead to better representation of people outside of London.

3. It could become a major tourist spot: It already attracts 1 million people every year. If a new building were opened, the current Palace of Westminster could become entirely open to tourists. This would generate a lot of money and it would be a way of respecting the site’s history.

1. Tradition and history are important: A new Parliament would have none of the current site’s fascinating history and tradition. There has been a parliament at Westminster since the Middle Ages. It’s a World Heritage site. Let’s keep hold of it.

2. Refurbishing is important: Rather than ‘giving up’ and starting again, it is good to repair and update. It means that this old building can keep all of its beauty and history while being fit for the 21st century and way beyond.

3. London is the capital city: It’s right that the political centre of the UK should be in its capital city. If we moved Parliament, we would be taking away one of the most famous symbols of democracy in the entire world.

MODERN PARLIAMENTS

move it where?

DILEMMA: IS IT TIME TO MOVE THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT? Friday 13 October 2017

THE BIG DEbate

Why do you think it would be good to move Parliament to a brand new building?

Is it important to repair and refurbish historical buildings, or is the cost simply too much?

What are the advantages of moving Parliament to another city altogether, such as Birmingham?

What are the disadvantages of moving Parliament to another city?

Would you visit the current Palace of Westminster if it became entirely open to the public?

Disc

uss

Disc

uss

Disc

uss

Disc

uss

Disc

uss

Disc

uss

What matters more when considering the refurbishment of an old building: history/tradition or practical issues/money?

Do you think circular parliament buildings, such as the ones in Scotland and Wales, are better? If so, why?

Disc

uss

Disc

uss

Disc

uss

How important should the history of a building be in influencing how we treat it?

Why do you think it would be good to move Parliament to a brand new building?

Disc

uss

Disc

uss

Disc

uss