article_snippet: Among the problems are leaking roofs and pipes, ancient electrics and plumbing, asbestos, subsidence, badly-damaged stonework and fire risks .
article_snippet: The walls and floors are infested with the dangerous substance - putting all occupants of the Palace at risk.
article_snippet: Much of the historic building needs re-wiring, and generators do not produce enough power .
article_snippet: Many original shafts are filled with wires, and a major failure of the ventilation system is judged to be inevitable.
article_snippet: Many boilers date from the 1930s, pipes are clogged with limescale and are in danger of fracturing – causing dangerous steam leaks which could close the Commons chamber for months .
article_snippet: Faulty guttering and broken pipes cause regular flooding, and the Big Ben belfry is particularly badly affected by water penetration.
article_snippet: Walls are damp and stained.
article_snippet: A problem throughout the Palace, particularly as cast-iron roofs are coming to the end of cast-iron roofs life.
article_snippet: Several pieces of wood fall from the fourteenth-century roof of Westminster Hall every year, while in 1980 a heavy boss fell from the roof of the Commons chamber .
article_snippet: Pipes and culverts seriously overloaded because Pipes and culverts are now expected to deal with more waste than expected.
highlights_snippet: Officials fear the building will not survive without significant investment .
  
highlights_snippet: Leaking pipes, subsidence, asbestos and outdated electrics among issues .
  
highlights_snippet: Last major renovation in 1940s when German bomb damage was dealt with .