Background
Since 2017 the Royal Household has been undertaking a 10-year phased reservicing of Buckingham Palace. One of the objectives of the Reservicing programme is to replace the ageing core services of the Palace to eliminate the very real risk of fire or flood. Other objectives include enhancing public access to the Palace and improving its energy efficiency. The Reservicing programme involves activities such as replacing the Palace’s boilers, electrical panels, cabling systems, water tanks and pipework, as well as introducing new measures to improve efficiency and accessibility. The Reservicing programme is being funded via a temporary uplift in the Sovereign Grant. HM Treasury has approved funding of £369 million (including VAT) to deliver the programme.
Scope
This study will assess how well the Royal Household is delivering against its stated objectives and focus on:
- if the Royal Household has set-up the programme well
- whether the programme is progressing as expected
- if the Royal Household has a plan that manages the risks to the end of the programme and the delivery of benefits
NAO Team
Director: Lee-Anne Murray
Senior Audit Manager: Jemma Dunne