PFI Bid - Secondary School Provision

It is vital that Secondary School provision in North is increased.

We have waited long enough for the additional Secondary School, which will serve areas such as Abbey Meads and Haydon Wick.

Currently this is subject to a PFI bid, the second one made by Swindon Borough Council.  Last years bid failed, causing yet further delays to the building of this school.

We will continue to apply pressure on the Labour Government to not reject the bid once again.  Any further delays or rejections are unacceptable.  The Laour Government must accept responsibility for the education provision that is so crucial.

The outcome is expected very shortly, which we will be keeping a very close eye on the situation, as this is a crucial issue for many residents who have young families that need this Secondary School provision.

1. If the PFI bid is successful we would hope that the government would
recognise the £4m annual cost of servicing the finance and build this into our
SSA for subsequent years.  Not to do so would be to fail to recognise the needs of the Council, and would cause even further unacceptable Council Tax hikes, as the Council struggles to balance the books with further Labour Stealth Taxes.

2. If the PFI bid is unsuccessful then the Labour government is clearly
abdicating from its responsibility to the children of Swindon.  The Labour
government claims to prioritise 'education education education' but is not
prepared to pay for it in Swindon.  Already the Labour government has refused one PFI bid for schools in the town.  To refuse a second bid would betray the children and education professionals in the town who put their faith in the Labour government to deliver improvements to education.

3. Labour Failure:

During the four years of the first Bliar administration, Labour failed to use
£3.3 billion of taxation revenue it had raised with a promise to spend it on
education.

Of particular relevance to this PFI bid:
£2.75 billion of this unspent money was earmarked for a programme of  capital expenditure on schools.   A fraction of this unspent £2.75 billion  would pay for the entire content of the PFI bid plus repairs and renewals in every school in Swindon.   Instead of forcing local councils into PFI schemes that carry annual costs which impact on Council Tax.