The National Audit Office has today published its first report on the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme. 

 The report is designed to look at the Programme at this early stage to identify potential risks and recommend how these may be addressed. 

 The NAO’s main recommendations focus on the need for clear objectives, requirements, structures,  processes and relationships to be agreed between Parliament and the Programme. The NAO also makes recommendations on managing the inherent uncertainties in a complex programme such as R&R as well as considering the challenges of setting evidence-based costs and timescales while we continue to develop better understanding of these uncertainties. A full list of the NAO’s recommendations are included in the report itself.

 Responding to the National Audit Office’s report, Sarah Johnson, CEO of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body, said: 

  “The restoration and renewal of the Houses of Parliament will be the biggest and most complex heritage project ever undertaken in the UK, supporting thousands of jobs across the country and protecting one of the world’s most recognisable buildings. 

  “Since legislation was passed last year, we have made rapid progress setting up the organisations responsible for the programme. I welcome the NAO’s helpful recommendations as we embark on the task of designing and delivering the plan to protect the Houses of Parliament for future generations.  

  “We are committed to learning lessons from previous infrastructure projects and will ensure value for money at every stage through stringent audit and assurance processes. Our teams will continue to work closely with Parliament in the coming months to determine the requirements for this great building, the home of our democracy.”