Recommendation 24

The Clerk of the House told us that he expected the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) to assure the arrangements but recognised that the IPA had no formal role over the Programme.60 Following our March evidence session, the Clerk clarified that the IPA will not be providing assurance over the proposed governance and approach to the works. Instead, in response to the Commissions’ request for independent advice in March 2022, a panel of “independent experts with experience of major infrastructure projects” has been established to provide assurance over both the new governance arrangements and the approach to the works.61 The Clerk of the House told us he was confident a report would be ready for the Joint Commission in the middle of June.62 The joint report was considered by the Commissions on 13 June 2022 and published on 14 June.63 52 HC1100 Qq 9–10 53 HC49 Q2 54 House of Commons Commission, Decisions, 1 February 2022 55 HC1100 Q 45 56 HC1100 Qq 85–87 57 HC1100 Q 119 58 HC1100 Qq 98, 102; HC49 Q 78 59 Joint report from the House of Commons and House of Lords Commissions, 14 June 2022, pg 23 60 HC1100 Qq 70–74; C&AG’s Report, para 2.6 61 Letter from Dr John Benger, 29 March 2022; HC49 Qq 77–78 62 HC49 Q 91 63 Joint report from the House of Commons and House of Lords Commissions, 14 June 2022 16 Restoration and Renewal of Parliament 2 Approach to the Programme works Deciding the approach