UK Parliament at risk of catastrophic destruction, warn lawmakers.

The UK Parliament building is at "real and rising" risk of destruction due to its crumbling, leaky, and asbestos-riddled structure, according to a report by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee. The report warns of a constant risk of fire and falling masonry, and inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause lung diseases, including cancer. Renewal work has been painfully slow and mostly amounted to "patching up" the 19th-century building, at a cost of about £2 million ($2.5 million) a week. The committee demanded politicians and parliamentary authorities set out "a clear indication of the cost and timeline for getting this massive job done before it becomes too late to do so."