§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential for UK firms to benefit from increased international business as a result of their expertise in the management of Private Finance Initiative projects. [38240]
§ Mr. Geoffrey RobinsonThe Treasury has received numerous visits and expressions of interest regarding the PFI from countries worldwide keen to learn of our experiences, and UK firms would of course be entitled to bid for PFI contracts abroad just as foreign companies are entitled to bid for contracts let here. PFI "practitioners" in the private sector too have reported heightened overseas interest.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has evaluated into the relative efficiency of the PH against other forms of Government funding. [38221]
§ Mr. Geoffrey RobinsonGovernment departments assess the relative efficiency of the PFI option, which itself relies on a competitive bidding procedure, against possible alternative forms of funding prior to the procurement of each service required. We have not yet done any general post-contract research into the value for money savings that have been achieved by proceeding via the PFI route, though the NAO has recently published four reports on the outcomes of PFI procurements in specific areas.