In August, Big Ben made headlines when the bongs lagged behind by six seconds, causing interruptions to BBC Radio 4, which broadcasts the sound live.
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The report to MPs outlined the risk to the clock on the Elizabeth Tower and said: “The clock has chronic problems with the bearings behind the hands and the pendulum”.
Continuing this theme of preserving Britain’s status on the world stage, the report mentioned Big Ben’s role “as a symbol of democracy” and its “international iconic status”, stating it was the duty of Parliament members to fix the clock and preserve it for the nation and the world.
The proposed £29 million “full refurbishment” would involve the clock being stopped for four months, and each of the four faces covered in turn as work was undertaken.
News of the price tag for repairs comes just months after it was revealed that taxpayers may have to pay up to £7bn to save the ageing Palace of Westminster. The Mail on Sunday suggested the clock’s hands could fall off without urgent action.
There can also be extreme metallic erosion, cracks within the roof and different structural defects, the stories says.
LONDON (AP) – Big Ben’s bongs may fall silent for months or even years as urgent repairs are carried out.
However, one MP said: ‘We’ve managed without a lift since Queen Victoria’s day so in these belt-tightening times, we can do without one a bit longer’.
“There are main considerations that if this isn’t carried out inside the subsequent two to three years, the clock mechanism is liable to failure with the large danger of worldwide reputational injury for Parliament”, the report stated.
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A House of Commons spokesman last night said no decisions had been taken on possible repairs.
