§ Mr. WolfsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for attracting private sector finance into the water and sewerage capital works programme in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Tim SmithThe purpose of the Government's private finance initiative is to encourage the involvement of the private sector in the provision of high quality, good value public services. As such it offers real benefits to the public by promoting efficiency and improving services by harnessing the private sector's expertise. As part of the initiative, the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has appointed Price Waterhouse to carry out a study into the scope for attracting private sector finance to the Department's water and sewerage construction and improvement programme. The study, which is expected to take three months to complete, will begin in early April 1994. The consultants have been asked to advise on the most appropriate mechanisms for securing and utilizing 833W private finance, to identify schemes where private finance could play a part and to identify the detailed requirements for taking forward any particular projects.