Government publishes annual PFI data
As part of its commitment to transparency, the government is today publishing its annual update on legacy PFI data.
The data sets out details of current schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure projects as at 31 March 2013.
The consolidated data shows that there were 725 current projects sponsored or delivered by central government departments and devolved administrations, reflecting private sector investment of £54.2 billion. This includes 15 projects signed during the 2012-13 financial year, details of which were published ahead of this annual update in August 2013.
The data also shows there were 21 projects in procurement with a total capital value of £2.8 billion, showing the government’s continued support for investment in schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure through public private partnerships.
The PFI data is updated annually, with today’s publication showing projects as at 31 March 2013 using information provided by the departments and Devolved Administrations which procured or sponsored the projects. The data is not audited by the Treasury.
Since 31 March 2013, the first batches of privately financed schools under the Priority School Building Programme, using the new PF2 model, have entered procurement.
As part of the PF2 commitments on transparency following the PFI review, the government wanted to make the PFI and PF2 data more accessible and comprehensible to the public.
As a result the government has created PFI/PF2 business case approval trackers to provide greater transparency and better accountability for the private sector. These were first published in August 2013 and are regularly updated. These products can be used alongside the annual data publication to see the different stages of the procurement process and identify the progress of specific projects, providing greater transparency for industry, public sector procurers and the taxpayer alike.