§ Sir Harold WalkerTo ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what estimate has been made of the angle at which the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster varies from the perpendicular; and what variation has occurred over the last 20 years. [3797]
§ Mr. Ray PowellThe Accommodation and Works Committee has a specialist adviser on geotechnical engineering whose brief includes advising the Committee on the adequacy of London Underground's arrangements to prevent damage to the Palace of Westminster and other parliamentary buildings during the construction of Westminster underground station and the Jubilee line extension. The Parliamentary Works Directorate also employs an independent firm of surveyors to monitor many movements of the Clock Tower.
The advice from both these sources is that London Underground Ltd., is taking appropriate and sufficient measures to control any damaging movements caused by excavation work for the Jubilee line extension project. The clock tower currently slopes from the vertical by approximately 1 in 4,000 and is affected by Thames tidal movement and changes in ambient temperature.