HC Deb 12 February 2002 vol 380 cc67-8
37. Bob Russell (Colchester)

When he expects work to start on building the new courthouse at Colchester. [32371]

The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Mr. Michael Wills)

It is planned that the work should start in early to mid-2004.

Bob Russell

There is grave concern about the possibility that the introduction of the private finance initiative will cause the company involved to be more interested in profit than in the prestige of the building. Can the Minister assure us that the PFI courthouse will be a building of which we can be proud, rather than just a profit generator for the company running it?

Mr. Wills

As the hon. Gentleman's rhetoric suggests, he is well aware of the truth. The idea is to produce a new courthouse for Colchester, and a number of new courthouses throughout the country. No new courthouses have been built since 1992. The Department is currently supporting the building of 12 new courthouses, and I think that that is something of which we can all be proud.

As the hon. Gentleman probably knows, the start of work on his courthouse will depend on the completion of the outline business case and, critically in the context of his question, on a demonstration on the basis of the public sector comparator that the project represents value for money. That is the key: value for money.