Up to £100,000 is to be spent refurbishing the toilets at the Palace of Westminster, according to a House of Commons contract.
The Lords lavatories give a "poor image" of the Palace of Westminster and are in an "unacceptable condition for the high profile area they are in", adds the job description put out to tender via the website government-online.net.
The paperwork states the last revamp took place more than 20 years ago, and the contract is valued by the House of Commons authorities at between £90,000 and £100,000.
The work to ensure the toilets in the Salisbury Room area comply with disability access legislation is estimated to take 42 days to complete.
There is one cubicle and two urinals in the men's toilets and one cubicle plus a hand basin in the women's toilets, according to the House of Lords.
One of the urinals might disappear as a result of work to enlarge the cubicle in the men's.
The nearest alternative disabled accessible toilets to the Salisbury Room are said to be more than 125 metres away.
Work listed in the contract includes installing "historic oak panelling to meet English Heritage requirements", minor demolition work, new decorations and new sanitary equipment.
The tender document adds the toilets - used by peers, staff and visitors from delegations from overseas parliaments - have reached the "end of their serviceable life".
Twelve companies have expressed an interest in carrying out the work.
A House of Lords spokesman said: "The House of Lords has opened a procurement process to refurbish two toilets on the principal floor to ensure we comply with disability access legislation.
"As with all procurement we undertake this will be done with a determined focus on value for money for the taxpayer."
The toilets were first installed during the summer recess of 1937 following a review of the provision of lavatories in Parliament and were last refurbished in the early 1990s.
In 2011/12, the House of Lords spent £15.252 million on estates and works. This covers the Lords share of the cost of maintaining the entire Parliamentary Estate, including the Palace of Westminster.
Taxpayers' Alliance chief executive Matthew Sinclair said: "This is an eye-watering sum of taxpayers' money to fork out on allowing House of Lords' VIPs to spend a penny.
"A family could afford to build themselves a home for this much cash.
"The parliamentary authorities need to ensure refurbishments to the estate provide value for taxpayers."
Original Article
Source: huffingtonpost.co.uk
Author: PA/The Huffington Post UK
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