A former spending watchdog has been called upon to investigate the installation of a nearly £10 million front door at the House of Lords that is not functioning properly. A security officer is stationed at the door to manually operate it, costing approximately £2,500 each week.
The costs for the project have surged by nearly 60% from the original estimate of £6.1 million. The Lord Speaker has written to independent crossbencher Lord Morse, who previously led the National Audit Office, to look into the situation regarding the £9.6 million door.
In his letter, Lord McFall of Alcluith, chair of the House of Lords Commission, stated that it remains unclear how many issues stem from manufacturing and installation failures versus initial misidentifications of requirements that necessitated changes.
He emphasized the need for additional information to understand the failures, including cost breakdowns—specifically how the initial £6.1 million budget was determined and how it escalated to the current £9.6 million, along with any unexpected costs like increased staffing for managing the entrance.
He noted that the challenges surrounding the new entrance raise broader questions about effective project delivery and the capabilities within parliamentary departments.
Speaking at Westminster, senior deputy speaker Lord Gardiner of Kimble, who is also on the commission, expressed frustration that the Peers' Entrance is not functioning as intended and indicated that urgent efforts are being made to address the issue. He stated that the costs to fix the defects will not fall on the House but will be covered by Parliament's contractors.
Former Tory minister Lord Robathan described the situation as a scandalous waste of public funds, calling for accountability and suggesting that someone should resign over the matter. Tory peer Lord Hayward pointed out that the staffing costs for managing the door are significant and should be attributed to someone. In response, Lord Gardiner assured that the staff involved in manually operating the door during repairs are part of the current workforce.
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