Government Should be Honest About PFI Debt - Cable

2.52.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 20th Sep 2006

Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vincent Cable MP

Responding to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) review of PFI debt, which included no additional hospital PFI costs, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable MP said: "Hospital PFIs have given PFI a bad name, because many projects were undertaken for the wrong reason as a way of hiding Government debt.

"This debt will have to be paid. Many financially hard pressed hospitals will be stuck with the burden for many years to come.

"This underlines how important it is that the Government statisticians, including the ONS, should be brought together in a fully independent organisation where they are free from political interference and pressure to disguise the truth about Government debt."