Michael Dugher MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, responding to the Public Accounts Committee’s report on contracting out public services to the private sector, said:

“This report has once again exposed the Government’s failings at negotiating and managing contracts with private companies.

“The Government is attempting to make reforms, but after almost four years Ministers are still failing to get the right commercial and financial skills in place, and it is still the case that small and medium enterprises are being excluded.

“To ensure that we are getting value for money for the taxpayer, the Government should live up to its promise to be the most transparent ever and extent Freedom of Information to public contracts with private providers. We need proper transparency to enable proper public scrutiny. Only in that way can we drive up performance.”