To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the rights of individual members of the public to make complaints to any of the appropriate ombudsmen about services or projects funded through the private finance initiative in his department. [36780]
Members of the public have the same rights to make complaints to the ombudsman concerning a project funded through the private finance initiative in my Department as they would have had if the project had been publicly funded.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications are awaiting departmental approval in principle under the private finance initiative in (a) the health sector, (b) transport sector and (c) other sectors; if he will list each one and its estimated capital value, if he will give his current estimate of the number likely to be approved for actual commencement in this financial year; and if he will make a statement. [37493]
The Welsh Office examines all of its capital expenditure programmes to identify projects that might be taken forward under the initiative. Some projects, such as an energy management scheme at Llandough hospital and a combined heat and power scheme at Withybush hospital, are already in place. Twenty-five projects, with a combined capital value of about £750 million are being examined at the moment with a view to taking them forward under the initiative. There projects in health, transport, Welsh Office administration and other sectors. I hope to make announcements on some of these in the next few months.