Today the Government introduced its Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill.

The Bill means the Restoration and Renewal Programme will be delivered in a similar way to the 2012 London Olympics, by establishing:

• a Sponsor Body made up of parliamentary and external members, which acts on behalf of Parliament and will oversee the delivery of the works; and
• a Delivery Authority equipped with the expertise to keep costs down and manage a project of this complexity.

A number of financial safeguards are also written into the Bill, including an Estimates Commission made up of parliamentarians to scrutinise the Sponsor Body’s spending plans.

Liz Peace, Chair of the shadow Sponsor Board of the Restoration and Renewal Programme, said:

"I welcome the Government’s Bill as another significant step towards protecting the Palace for generations to come!"

More information on the Bill can be found on the UK Parliament website.