Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 6
6
It is vital that Parliament’s own major project, the Restoration and Renewal programme, is an...
Conclusion
It is vital that Parliament’s own major project, the Restoration and Renewal programme, is an exemplar of an open and transparent project which welcomes scrutiny. The restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster is a highly complex programme with a number of uncertainties that underpin it, including the condition of the building, interdependencies with other Parliamentary building projects, and the lack of consensus over the scope of the programme and how to relocate staff. Since the programme and the body overseeing it are Parliamentary, the programme does not fall within the GMPP and the IPA’s formal remit, though it has offered advice informally on the programme when invited to. Given the complexity and difficulty of the programme, it would benefit from all available expertise on major programmes and from the additional transparency that could be brought from the IPA reporting on the programme. Recommendation: The government and Parliament should work together to establish a framework for how the IPA will scrutinise and assure the R&R project. 8 Lessons from major projects and programmes 1 Major programme delivery
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
6.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 6.2 The government recognises the importance of the Restoration and Renewal project and the complex challenge it presents. As the Committee acknowledges, R&R is a parliamentary rather than a government project. Therefore, it is not part of the GMPP and so not subject to HM Treasury Approval Points. While the IPA has provided informal advice at the request of the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority, the IPA is not part of the ‘Parliamentary Relationship Agreement’ or the ‘Programme Delivery Agreement’, which formalise the programme’s assurance regime. The IPA can continue to provide informal advice on the project where requested, but with respect for the sovereignty of Parliament, any responsibility for formally scrutinising or assuring the project must be based on an invitation from Parliament and amendment to the existing agreements.