§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on the use of PFI or PPP solutions for the procurement of front-line equipment. [125805]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 13 June 2000]Public Private Partnerships comprise a range of close relationships between the public and private sectors including Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) and Smart Procurement. PFI solutions are being explored for a number of services in direct support of operations (e.g. Heavy Equipment Transporter, Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft) where we judge this may offer best value for money without detriment to operational effectiveness.