NEWS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2 OCTOBER 2002
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT'S FINANCE COMMITTEE'S REPORT ON PPPs
Commenting on the publication of the Scottish Parliament's Finance Committee's Report on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Scotland, STUC Deputy General Secretary, Grahame Smith, said:
"The STUC continues to oppose PPP as a method of public procurement, because of its affect on public sector workers, but also because we believe it does not offer good value for money. The Finance Committee's report raises a number of questions about value for money issues, and the need for procurement options other than PPP to be developed.
"The STUC welcomes the Committee's recognition that, in any PPP proposals, workers employment conditions should be protected and that the trade unions should be consulted at an early stage of any PPP process.
"We are currently working with the Scottish Executive on these issues, in particular to eliminate the two-tier workforce implications of PPPs, and the Report provides an added impetus to our discussions.
"The Report also justifies the demands made by the trade unions for a wider review of PPP and we would urge the Executive to put this in place as a matter of urgency, in order to allow proper and thorough consideration of the Finance Committee's recommendations, as well as the other evidence which exists and which casts doubt over the appropriateness of this method of financing public sector capital projects."
For further information and comment, please contact:
Grahame Smith, STUC Deputy General Secretary
Tel: 0141 337 8100 / Fax: 0141 337 8101 / Email: info@stuc.org.uk