Anne has once again raised her concerns over the proposed New Barnfield Incinerator. Anne questioned the Minister of State for Housing and Local Government, Grant Shapps MP, over the plans.

Anne said:
“On the subject of purchasing orders, does my right hon. Friend agree that Hertfordshire County Council could look at not going forward with the PFI scheme that might see a large incinerator landed on the border between his constituency and mine, as they are very poor value for money?”

In response Grant said:
“I am extraordinarily grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that sensitive local issue, which she will understand I cannot comment on as a Minister with responsibility for planning.”

On leaving the chamber Anne said:
“I am aware that Parliamentary Convention means that the Minister is unlikely address local issues in his own backyard, however I am determined to keep questioning this costly PFI scheme. Not surprisingly Veolia are defending the proposal and have recently told me that, ‘[Veolia] believe that the substantial investment predicated by our company under the aegis of this publicly procured project does represent real value to the taxpayer’. I do however remain to be convinced that this is the case considering the Treasury Select Committee’s negative report on PFI schemes. Hertfordshire County Council need to show that this is the best way forward and are not simply piling up debts for the future.”

FULL TEXT

Mrs Anne Main (St Albans) (Con): On the subject of purchasing orders, does my right hon. Friend agree that Hertfordshire county council could look at not going forward with the PFI scheme that might see a large incinerator landed on the border between his constituency and mine, as they are very poor value for money?

Grant Shapps: I am extraordinarily grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that sensitive local issue, which she will understand I cannot comment on as a Minister with responsibility for planning. It is true that councils that have used procurement wisely, for example through online procurement, competitive working, ensuring that they follow through on getting a purchase order, which is pretty basic, and paying only when they can prove that the goods have been delivered, have saved millions of pounds.

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