To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007, Official Report, column 91W, on Building Schools for the Future: private finance initiative, whether he plans to use PFI schemes for the procurement of academies. (154116)

The academies building programme is an integral part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. BSF is the Government’s 15-year programme to re-build or refurbish every secondary school in England, and comprises a mix of PFI schemes and conventional capital funding. PFI may be used for the procurement of academies where it is proven to provide value for money and clear benefits.