§ Mr. BettsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many schemes and to what value have been approved in 1994–95 under the private finance initiative; what are the estimates for the current financial year; how many schemes are currently being considered and at what value; for how long have they been considered and how many have been in the assessment process for over(a) six months and (b) 12 months; and what was the average length of time taken to assess schemes so far approved; [30844]
(2) how many schemes and by how much Government spending has changed in 1994–95 as a result of the private finance initiative; what is the estimated effect in 1995–96; how many jobs are to be created by schemes approved to date under the initiative and how many have been lost as a consequence in the public sector; and what is the forecast of transfer of employment from public to private sector over the last five years because of the initiative.
§ Sir Paul Beresford[pursuant to his reply, 28 June 1995, c.655]: I indicated that the Department of the Environment and its sponsored bodies attracted around £4 million in private investment. This should have stated that £4 billion had been attached in support of programmes in 1994–95.
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