The grave damage done by the fire in Notre Dame last month has increased concern about the danger of a similar catastrophe at the Palace of Westminster, which is in a serious state of disrepair.
Preparations for the restoration and renewal of the Palace, which require MPs and peers to move out of it for a period of years, are now being carried forward with a greater sense of urgency than existed before the fire in Paris.
Historians are deeply concerned about the three million or so parliamentary records, which go back centuries and occupy some 5.5 miles of shelving in the Victoria Tower.
Alistair Lexden asked about the precautions being taken to protect these hugely important documents by means of a written question in the Lords which was answered on 14 May. He was told that fire safety arrangements have been improved in the last three years, and that a new fire risk assessment is to be undertaken: ‘any issues highlighted in this review will be addressed’.
He was also told that planning is under way to move the archives out of the Palace before the start of the work of restoration and renewal, expected in 2025. This is being done as part of an archives renewal programme. The answer to the written question stated: ‘the programme is developing requirements and designs for a range of options. The designs will take into account all known fire risks and will meet the necessary British Standards, both for fire mitigation for archival storage, care and use of such important heritage collections’.
It is reassuring to know that work is in hand, but fuller information is required. Where will the archives be housed when they are moved from the Victoria Tower? Will the new premises be temporary or permanent? It is widely felt among historians that the archives should remain on a fire-proof site outside the Palace where researchers can have access to them more readily than is possible in the cramped reading rooms in the Tower. Further parliamentary questions on the subject will clearly be needed.
