Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I will resist the temptation to follow the Minister of State into the tangents he has described. However, I take it that he cannot provide me with a report which would support his claims. I am disappointed with that because this country lacks positive models of agencies which encourage local involvement while also achieving value for money for the public funds they spend. It would have been useful if a report had been available for future reference in that regard.

The nonsense rehearsed by the Minister of State with regard to not revealing what the Government was prepared to pay is only the latest in a list of excuses. If the Government will not declare what it is prepared to pay, it will make itself vulnerable to claims by bidders that they only agreed on tentative prices.