To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost is of all private finance initiative projects for which his Department has responsibility completed since 1997; and what the projected cost is of such projects commissioned or under way. (148019)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has completed no Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) since 1997. Two PFI projects are under way with a total estimated cost of £381.7 million. The details are:

Global Crossing—Provision of a worldwide telecommunications network for a term of ten years from 10 May 2000. The total estimated cost of this contract is £247.5 million. The present unitary payment charged to the operating cost statement is £24 million per annum; and

Arteos—In respect of the building, operation and maintenance of our Embassy in Berlin for a term of 30 years from 23 June 1998 with an option to extend for a further 30 years. The total estimated costs of the contract over its lifetime to June 2028 is £134.2 million. The current unitary payment is £4.4 million per annum.

Further details on these signed deals are available on HM Treasury’s website, available at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private_partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm

This list covers unitary charge payments up to 2033-34. Unitary charge payments are projections covering more than the repayment of the capital value of a project. They will frequently include inflation, service provision and major refurbishment. They are also conditional on the performance of the private sector contractor.

The FCO has commissioned no other PFI projects.