Palace of Westminster had SEVEN fires break out last year as fears of Notre Dame-type blaze mount
The small incidents were all quickly detected and dealt with but MPs said it showed that Parliament's urgent repair programme had to be started next week
THE Palace of Westminster had SEVEN fires break out last year, as fears grow it could suffer a Notre Dame-type blaze too.
The incidents from the last 12 months were all quickly detected and dealt with but MPs said it showed that Parliament’s urgent repair programme had to be started next week.
Although they were small, any one of them could have had the potential to spiral into a huge blaze and devastate the building.
On Monday night Paris’s iconic cathedral caught fire, with the entire roof destroyed along with the main spire.
Thankfully the external structure and stunning stained glass windows survived – and no one was killed in the fire which ravaged through the night.
MPs have warned that the Palace of Westminster could be at risk of a similar style fire.
MPs are set to move out of the Palace of Westminster so that vital repairs can take place to upgrade the building and replace its old wiring system and crumbling stonework.
Top Labour politician Chris Bryant told The Sun Online: “This just shows how urgent this work is.
“The Government must come back first thing next week and introduce the bill so we can get on with it as fast as possible.”
Treasury minister Robert Jenrick said this morning: “We have certainly neglected the palace of Westminster for too long.”
Separate figures estimated that a whopping 66 fire incidents have been recorded in the last decade.
Repairs to Big Ben and the Palace are currently ongoing, but are separate from the huge restoration task which has yet to begin.
This just shows how urgent this work is
Chris Bryant, Labour MP
After years of putting off a £3bn plan to modernise Parliament’s decaying home, the Commons finally agreed last year for work to begin in 2026.
But it has emerged a committee of grandees overseeing it – lead by former Tory Cabinet minister Dame Caroline Spelman – is now proposing to push it back to 2028, meaning the rehaul won’t begin for almost a decade.
Mr Bryant said the decaying landmark was a “potential death trap of catastrophic proportions” and identified the roof as the greatest risk.
The building, which has some parts which date back to 1055, has to have a 24-hour patrol of staff checking for fires to keep it safe.
Most of it was rebuilt after a devastating blaze in 1834 – but it still contains some incredibly old electrics and heating systems.
Last year a programme of fire safety measures was pushed through, with new fire door upgrades, extra signs and a high pressure water system to try and minimise any risks.
A Parliamentary spokesperson told The Sun: “Fire life safety is the top priority for Parliament and protections are constantly reviewed and updated including at our active construction sites, and in planning for the future restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.
“Last year we completed a significant proportion of works to enhance fire life safety measures in the Palace.
“While this work continues we stand ready to learn any lessons that emerge from the fire at Notre Dame to ensure we do everything possible to protect our people and buildings on the Parliamentary Estate.”
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