Parliament pays for empty offices

摘要

The House of Commons paid contractor Wates about £4.5m of public money to fit out offices that it subsequently left vacant, writes Rebecca Seales. The firm's interiors division was engaged to refurbish the offices at 14 Tothill Street between February 2009 and the end of 2010 ahead of an anticipated move by the Commons department of resources that autumn - but the staffing move never materialised. The property has up to 5,567m2 of space and was procured to act as a decant space for the House of Commons and the House of Lords during the refurbishment of offices at the Millbank Island site.