2003 press releases

The Story of Portcullis House

New figures revealed today by the National Audit Office and obtained by Norman Baker show that the building of Portcullis House, which provides office space for MPs, cost £13.1m in architects' fees but has experienced 7,500 defects since opening.

Michael Hopkins and Partners were the architects for the project and charged £13.1m for the job. The original projection for architects' fees was £7.2m. In addition, they insisted on using bronze for exterior metal work and solid stone in place of a concrete frame. This added £15m to the cost. On top of that, engineers Ove Arup received £3.2m for their part in the project.

Portcullis House was subject to an interior inspection in September 2001 that revealed 7,500 defects. This included minor faults such as 300 loose door handles as well as more serious problems like glass panels cracking and nuts falling off the roof. The House of Commons is paying for the repairs, which according to the NAO Report have so far cost £60,000.

Portcullis House opened a year late and £28m over the original estimate of building costs. The House of Commons Commission approved the construction of Portcullis House in 1993 with forecasted costs of between £151m and £164m (in 1992 prices). The latest estimate of cost is £179m (in 1992 prices), which is 18% more than the original forecast.

Speaking about the latest twist in the Portcullis House story, Norman Baker says:

"It is shocking that a flag ship public building can have 7,500 defects within months of its opening. The House of Commons must take this report seriously and learn from the lessons in it. The public may well conclude that if the House of Commons cannot open a building properly, what chance do they have of running the country."

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