More asbestos found in Parliament, as MPs urged to get on with revamp

bbc news Nov 5, 2026 03:27 1 min read 1 reads

MPs told it's crunch time for a decision on refurbishment amid warnings of a Notre Dame-style fire.

A split picture showing the Palace of Westminster shown against blue sky on the left, with multicoloured messy cables on the right. — Image caption,
The Palace of Westminster and wider parliamentary estate has a web of old cables in its basement (right)

ByEwan SomervillePolitical reporter

Published21 minutes ago

More asbestos has been discovered in Parliament, the BBC has learnt, as MPs come under pressure to sign off on a major revamp of the crumbling home of UK democracy.

Known asbestos items in the Palace of Westminster and wider parliamentary estate, such as insulation, roofing, floor tiles and ropes, now number more than 1,650 - an increase of 500 since 2021.