In agreement with the President and the responsible Vice-President, I have taken the decision to temporarily close Section A of the Paul-Henri Spaak (PHS) Building. This precautionary measure has become necessary after the discovery of cracks in three of the wooden beams carrying the roof of the plenary chamber, during checks made in the framework of our increased inspection and maintenance policy. The causes of the cracks could not be determined which makes the temporary closure of the Section A of the Paul-Henri Spaak building necessary until the source of the problem can be identified.

The delicious irony was not lost on Nigel Farage, who gets in touch to say: “The roof is falling in in the European Parliament on the first day of term. I wonder what that might be a metaphor for?” Will the EU still be here by the time it’s fixed?