Fixing Houses of Parliament 'could cost £5.7bn' report says

Major restoration of the Houses of Parliament without moving MPs and peers out would cost £5.7bn and take 32 years, a report says.

If MP and peers were moved out for six years, the cost would drop to £3.5bn, an independent report has said.

The 150-year-old Grade I listed building is partly sinking, contains asbestos and has outdated cabling.

A 2012 report warned the building could suffer "major, irreversible damage" without significant restoration work.

The Commons and Lords will have to vote in the next few years on what to do.

The £3.5bn option would include some new features, such as a lift up the Elizabeth Tower, which with its famous clock and bell is popularly known as Big Ben, a media centre for TV interviews and "increased breakout, formal and informal meeting areas" for those who work in the Palace of Westminster.

Read the full report