Committee publication · Correspondence · 27 March 2026
Letter from the Clerk of the House to the Chair of the Committee on the Commons Building and Infrastructure Portfolio (CBIP), 25 February 2026
Summary
The Clerk of the House responds to the Finance Committee's scrutiny of the Commons Buildings and Infrastructure Portfolio (CBIP), confirming he has already requested critical assurances from the project team on contingency funding, land permissions, staffing expertise, risk provisions, and value for money on carpark acquisition and legal fees.
Key findings
- Clerk has requested clarification on whether the £15.5m funding request is contingent on Repair and Renewal work proceeding
- Committee raised concerns about contingency planning if MoD withholds permission to use their land and measures to reduce nugatory spend
- Significant staff turnover in key personnel roles poses risk to project continuity and expertise
- Clerk seeking sense-check that £3.7m risk provision is proportionate to the £15.5m total spend, which will largely cover professional fees and design work
- Transparency on carpark acquisition costs, legal fees, and broader CBIP costs publication being reviewed alongside MoD discussions
Tone
ProceduralTopics
public-financeparliamentary-administrationcapital-projectsvalue-for-money
Key actors
Steve Barclay MP, Tom Goldsmith, Finance Committee, Clerk of the House, MoD
Notable line
“… we must do so in a way that ensures value for money for the taxpayer”
Key Quotes
“I share your concern that this project should be completed as efficiently and expeditiously as possible, and welcome you raising with me the issues identified by the Committee.”
“While it is important that we maintain the momentum of the project, I am clear that we must do so in a way that ensures value for money for the taxpayer.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗