Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

New Palace Yard Project 2026-01-15

15 January 2026 · 1 other contributor

Opened by John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk

Parliamentary Procedure

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

John Lamont raised concerns about new palace yard project 2026-01-15 in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • The cost of the New Palace Yard project is 62 million.
  • Constituents complain about long queue times for staff leaving Parliament.
  • There is a lack of sufficient political oversight for the project.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk

The cost of £62 million for the New Palace Yard project is eye-watering. Most constituents find it outrageous as staff have to queue for long times when leaving Parliament at the end of the day. The original budget was lower, who approved the project and who designed it? There has not been sufficient political oversight.

Other contributors (1)
  • Nick Smith Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney

    The New Palace Yard project will be completed this month at an expected cost of £62 million, within the latest approved business case. There have been different estimates for the stages of the project since 2017 due to delays and steps are being taken to speed up exit times.

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