Big Questions still remain over £1bn Dowry and Workplace 2010 Proposal
Ulster Unionist Party Finance Spokesman Roy Beggs, speaking as the Assembly debated a Committee report on Workplace 2010, said that while the Ulster Unionist Party was committed to delivering quality public services and had no ideological objections to the broad themes of Workplace 2010, the party had many concerns that needed to be addressed before it could give the proposal the thumbs up.
He added that the Assembly and Executive was finding itself in this position because the much mooted £1 Billion package had yet to materialise.
In a statement Mr Beggs said,
“We have no ideological baggage when it comes to selling off public buildings to generate more money to improve frontline services. We are keen to see the public getting the best public services that we can provide within the framework of the existing budget.
It should be remembered however that the current First Minister had promised people, along with his party, a £1 Billion package from the then Chancellor Gordon Brown to help our fledgling government get off the ground. This has yet to materialise and the Workplace 2010 proposal to sell 77 civil service buildings is a testament to this failure to deliver on the package.
We have concerns that, in the current proposal, there are considerable risks:
- Potential monopoly situation at ‘end of contract’ – what will be the cost of a future buy-back?
- How to prevent excessive profits by the successful developer in redeveloping the sites
- Can a satisfactory claw-back arrangement be agreed and implemented to ensure the public don’t get short changed
- Managing the risk of a developer going bust and the civil service estate being left in limbo or in the hands of receivers”