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Parliament announces appointments to shadow Sponsor Board to oversee Restoration and Renewal of Palace of Westminster

Parliament announces appointments to shadow Sponsor Board to oversee Restoration and Renewal of Palace of Westminster

Elizabeth (Liz) Peace CBE has been appointed as the Chair of the shadow Sponsor Board of the Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster. The governing bodies of both the House of Commons and House of Lords approved her appointment on Monday 16 July.

Earlier this year, both Houses of Parliament agreed to temporarily vacate the Palace of Westminster to allow the increasingly urgent work on the building to be carried out in one single phase. They also agreed to establish an Olympic-style Sponsor Board, set up through legislation, and Delivery Authority to manage the work.

Liz Peace joins four other industry figures, as well as seven Members of Parliament from both Houses, in making up the shadow Sponsor Board. The Board will own the budget, business case and scope of the restoration programme, and will be set up initially in shadow form and subsequently through legislation.

Liz Peace has more than 35 years’ experience in government and the property sector, currently serving as Chair of the Government Property Agency, established to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Government Estate. She is also Chairman of the Mayor of London’s Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, which manages the UK’s largest regeneration project, as well as being a former Chief Executive of the British Property Federation.

Seven Members from across both Houses have also been appointed, nominated by political parties. They include former members of the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster as well as Members of Parliament with a wide range of experience in the public and private sectors.

Liz Peace CBE, Chair of the shadow Sponsor Board, said:

"It’s an honour to be taking on this important role. The Palace of Westminster is an iconic building, of huge national importance, and I’m thrilled to be leading this much-needed restoration project. Together with the talent, knowledge and experience of the wider Board, I hope to help steer the project through to successful completion, and create a Parliament building of which the whole country can be proud."

Members of the shadow Sponsor Board:

Liz Peace CBE (Chair) has more than 35 years’ experience in government and the property sector, currently serving as Chair of the Government Property Agency, established to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Government Estate. She is also Chairman of the Mayor of London’s Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, which manages the UK’s largest regeneration project, as well as being a former Chief Executive of the British Property Federation.

Brigid Janssen has directed strategic communications for a wide variety of international financial institutions, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London, the OECD in Paris, and the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank in Washington. She has served on the board of a heritage organisation in Canada and currently she advises clients on reputation management.

Marta Phillips OBE has had a successful career in the public and private sectors finishing as chief executive of the Pensions Advisory Service. She has continued with her interest in the public sector and now has a portfolio of non-executive appointments mainly in the government and the education sectors.

Dr Simon Thurley CBE is a well-known historian and academic who has published many books on architectural history and heritage. Between 2002 and 2015 he was chief executive of English Heritage and before that, for five years, was director of the Museum of London.

Simon Wright OBE has more than 40 years’ experience in construction and project management and is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He is currently the Chief Executive of Crossrail and was Director of Infrastructure at the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Lord Carter of Coles (Labour) has been a member of the House of Lords Audit Committee since 2013, on the Lords Rural Economy Committee since May 2018. Lord Carter was former member of the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster.

Lord Deighton (Conservative) is the non-executive Chairman of Heathrow Airport, The Economist Group and the Holdingham Group and a non-executive Director of Square, Inc. He was CEO of LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games), was Commercial Secretary for HM Treasury and was responsible for the UK’s National Infrastructure Plan. He was a former member of the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster.

Rt Hon Lord Geidt (Crossbencher) was recently the private secretary to The Queen. He was engaged in the decision to embark upon the present ten-year project to reservice Buckingham Palace.

Neil Gray MP (Scottish National Party) has been Member of Parliament for Airdrie & Shotts since the general election in May 2015. He is a member of the Commons Finance Committee and was a former member of the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster. He is also currently the Shadow SNP Spokesperson for Work and Pensions.

Rt Hon Sir Patrick McLoughlin MP (Conservative) was elected as MP for West Derbyshire, now Derbyshire Dales, in 1986. He served as his party’s Chief Whip, first in Opposition and then in Government, before a four-year stint as Secretary of State for Transport. He has extensive experience of driving forward government business and implementation.

Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat) is currently on the House of Lords Statutory Instruments Joint Committee, and has chaired and been a member of a variety of Lords Committees for nearly 20 years. She was Party Chair for the Liberal Democrats.

Mark Tami MP (Labour) has been Member of Parliament for Alyn and Deeside since 2001. He is a member of the Commons Finance Committee and was a former member of the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster. Prior to working in Westminster, Tami was head of policy at the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union.

The appointment of the external members is subject to satisfactory references and security clearance.

Governance
Sponsor Body