Schools: Construction

Mr. Spellar
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of bidding costs for projects under Building Schools for the Future.

Jim Knight
Current indications from the market show that it costs around £1.5 million to reach the point where the preferred partner is selected. Private sector costs are not shared with us. The figure cited reflects the discussions we have with Consortia as part of our ongoing engagement with the market.