Recommendation 31

The Clerks recognise the significance of the responsibilities they now hold and the complexities they face when fulfilling and balancing these respective responsibilities. 67 C&AG’s report, Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme, HC 315, Session 2019–2021, 24 April 2020 68 Q 60 69 Qq 60–63, 115 70 Qq 115 – Q120 71 The Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body (Abolition) Regulations 2022 72 Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019 73 C&AG’s report, Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme, HC 315, Session 2019–2021 24 April 2020 74 Committee of Public Accounts, Tenth Report of Session 2022–23, Restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster, HC 49, 29 June 2022 75 Q 38 18 Restoration & Renewal of the Palace of Westminster – 2023 Recall They felt it was conceivable that they would be asked to do something they felt unwise or disastrous value for money,76 and in such an event the Clerks could be put in an untenable position. For example, we were told that the Clerks would have powers to close parts of the Palace from the general public should safety concerns escalate to the point that it was no longer viable to allow access. They could not however, prevent Members from accessing the Palace but may retain corporate responsibility if an incident occurred. Should Members access the building while Corporate Officers had closed the site to all other users, they could seek only to resist any claim for compensation on the grounds that a Member had acted voluntarily at their own risk and contrary to advice given.77