§ 48. Mr. JannerTo ask the Lord President of the Council when he expects that part of the Ibbs report which will bring responsibility for the restoration of the Palace of Westminster within his responsibilities to be implemented.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe report on House of Commons services, by the team led by Sir Robin Ibbs, recommended among other things that responsibility for the parliamentary works budget should pass from the Secretary of State for the Environment to the House of Commons Commission. The House of Lords has subsequently agreed to accept responsibility for its share of the cost of the services provided under this budget, which include routine maintenance and refurbishment, and the provision of new buildings, as well as the restoration of the fabric of the Palace of Westminster. The Ibbs report envisaged that the transfer of responsibility for these services might take place as early as the beginning of the 1992–93 financial year, subject to the introduction of other organisational changes in the House of Commons service. It is too early to say whether that target will be achieved. There are no proposals to transfer responsibility for these matters to the Leader of the House.