Experts believe UK parliament is 'falling apart'

London: It has been an enduring symbol of democracy since the 19th century but Britain’s parliament is crumbling, producing an eye-watering bill and urgent calls to fix it. Officials on Friday detailed thousands of issues with the landmark building, from stonework cracks and water damage to outdated electrical and mechanical systems. The array of defects were recorded by dozens of engineers, architectural surveyors and other specialists who spent a combined 4,700 hours investigating the more than 150-year-old Palace of Westminster. At the north end of the royal palace, rising up above the River Thames, is Big Ben, the nickname for the Great Bell of the striking clock atop the Elizabeth Tower. The latest probe is seen as a key step in planned restoration and renewal works to the UNESCO World Heritage Site which have been repeatedly delayed, and are not set to be put to lawmakers for approval until 2023. “The Houses of Parliament building is recognised the world over as a symbol of our nation but this building requires a considerable level of care to keep it working and needs an essential programme of restoration work,” said the leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg. “That’s why it’s so important to understand and map out the restoration work needed to protect the building – so that the focus is on those essential works necessary to preserve the Palace for future generations.” The inspectors combed 2,343 rooms and spaces during the parliamentary recess this summer and while MPs were at their annual party conferences in September and October. They also encountered “miles of outdated and interweaving gas, electrics, water, sewage, and heating pipes” in an enormous basement. “Further investigation is ongoing but it is thought the palace may contain the oldest still-in-use gas lighting system in the world.” Further detailed surveys, including “intrusive” probes into its structure, will be carried out in the coming months “to continue building the most detailed record of the palace ever created”. Officials have previously noted it is at high risk of sudden failure from major fire, flood or stone fall, with the annual cost of maintenance and ongoing projects recently doubling from £62 million in 2016 to £127 million in 2019.