Mr. Paddy Howard:

I will need to trace the reference to see what that is; I do not know what that is and want to direct it appropriately.

Returning to the earlier question, the effectiveness of the policy framework is something we will look at. That will be focused on whether this is a way of delivering results. We have already undertaken that, and that was what I was adverting to in my opening remarks. Last year was a year of deliberation in terms of capital in general, where we produced our ten year national development plan. As part of that we did a review of PPPs. We need to look at that analysis, which was published yesterday. The key findings were included in the NDP report. That is where we are with this at this moment.

We see that PPPs are a technique that has in the past managed to deliver infrastructure effectively, in most cases. The area around performance in the contract, as to insolvency and those kind of issues, is a more sophisticated set up than traditional procurement at the moment to the extent that there is a framework in place that can anticipate what should happen if a key player goes insolvent or if there is some other disruption.

I will also mention that within the framework at the moment, there are certain advantages that would apply in certain situations. It is not that we are making a commitment to any particular level, but it is still a tool in the toolbox, and that at the individual project level, if a value-for-money, VFM, case can be made, then it should be undertaken.

Such reviews as we have done of the VFM of PPPs have generally been good. We are undertaking some more, and that is where we are with it.

Returning to the Deputy's original point, to make it clear, if a significant case arises, once the operational issues are resolved, we would be looking to see if there are any implications for policy framework. I would point out from our earlier discussions that many of the issue that I believe have been raised are not issues for the PPP policy per se, they are more issues around company law and that area bearing in mind that we do not reinvent company law when we come to devise what is our PPP policy.