Services and offices across the Palace of Westminster all share the same water, electric, sewage and gas system. Most of these services are interconnected across the building, meaning if a pipe or cable breaks you need to switch off the water or electrics in one area, you have to shut it down across the Palace.  Crumbing stonework, cracking ceilings, and extensive water damage are the visible problems. There are also hundreds of miles of rusting pipework, obsolete electrical cables and gas pipes, and the giant, inefficient Victorian steam heating, all of which need replacing.