Houses of Parliament restoration: Here's the £4bn to-do list
THE Palace of Westminster is beset with problems because of its historic structure and lack of maintenance since it was rebuilt after the Second World War.
Big Ben is now tilted 18 inches
Big Ben
The 1859 Elizabeth Tower is tilting by a perilous 18 inches.
Roof
Whenever there is heavy rainfall buckets need to be distributed around the estate as the roof is no longer water tight, leading to damp in the walls and ceilings.
Lifts
Regularly closed as unfit for use due to their age. The oldest was installed in 1893 and Parliament regularly struggles to meet legal standards for disability access.
Asbestos
The building is riddled with the toxic substance which was once used for insulation.
The roof can no longer keep out heavy rain
The walls are lined with asbestos
Fire
Many parts of the building are a fire hazard and its materials and ventilation shafts mean fire would spread quickly.
Offices
Virtually no air conditioning and 44 rooms do not have windows.
The entire building is a fire hazard
Electrics
Miles of poor cabling have not been overhauled since the 1940s.