WIREDGOV

The CBI responded to a report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on contracting out public services to the private sector.

The CBI recently published a new report on boosting transparency in private sector run public services.

John Cridland, CBI Director-General, said:

"The private sector plays an increasingly important role in running public services, as this report notes. The public has a right to know how its money is being spent and the industry has pledged to meet a higher bar on transparency.

"Businesses running public services agree that open book contracting should become the norm. The National Audit Office should also be able to audit government contracts as long as this is done in a systematic way with the triggers for inspection, like missed performance targets, agreed from the outset.

"Rather than relying on individual freedom of information requests, we think FOI should be built into contracts when they are agreed.

"As the report highlights, it is often the Government which pushes for transparency, so the onus is now on it to open contracts to scrutiny. It also faces a critical challenge that means making sure it has the right skills and capacity to manage competitive, accountable and transparent public services markets."