Europe

UK lawmakers: Aging Parliament risks 'catastrophic failure'

Associated Press
Published | Updated

A view of scaffolding on Britain's Parliament buildings in London, Friday, March 10, 2017. Lawmakers may have to move out for the first time since World War II so repair work can be done. The building needs work to repair crumbling walls and leaking pipes, and to remove asbestos. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (The Associated Press)

A view of scaffolding on Britain's Parliament buildings in London, Friday, March 10, 2017. Lawmakers may have to move out for the first time since World War II so repair work can be done. The building needs work to repair crumbling walls and leaking pipes, and to remove asbestos. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (The Associated Press)

A view of scaffolding on Britain's Parliament buildings in London, Friday, March 10, 2017. Lawmakers may have to move out for the first time since World War II so repair work can be done. The building needs work to repair crumbling walls and leaking pipes, and to remove asbestos. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (The Associated Press)

British lawmakers say the U.K.'s leaky, crumbling Parliament building risks catastrophe if legislators and staff don't move out for several years of urgent repairs.

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee says the building is in "a state of extreme disrepair. The risk of a catastrophic failure is high and growing with every month that passes."

A report last year said the 19th century landmark beside the River Thames is at risk of a flood or fire that could leave it uninhabitable. It advised members of the House of Commons and House of Lords to move out for six years starting in the early 2020s.

Many lawmakers object to the plan, but the Public Accounts Committee endorsed it Friday, saying temporary relocation is the "most economical, effective and efficient" option.