Ms Maria McLoughlin:

Perhaps I should have elaborated a little more on the position. In addition to value-for-money tests - both as the contract is being drawn up and before it comes into force - the public private partnership guidelines issued by our Department also provide for post-project review after the contract has been drawn up. This means that in addition to ensuring a contract should go ahead by means of PPP in the first instance, the sanctioning authority - that is, the body responsible - should, during its lifetime, subject it to post-project review on an ongoing basis.

The details of how that should be conducted are provided for within the guidelines. It includes "ongoing contract management" to ensure that the full benefit is derived from the specific requirements within the contract. Essentially, the framework we put in place is not simply to make a decision at the onset of a project but to ensure during its lifetime that it will also be subject to that type of review.