A national inquiry should be held into the use of private finance models to build schools and other public facilities in Scotland, according to Unite.

The union made the call after Professor John Cole published his report into the closure of 17 Edinburgh schools following the collapse of a wall at Oxgangs Primary School in January last year. Each of the schools were built using private finance.

The organisation said a national inquiry should look at safety, as well if the contracts are delivering value for money. In addition, it added the investigation should cover contracts being carried out under the Scottish Government's NPD model, as well as previous PFI / PPP models.


Unite deputy Scottish secretary Mary Alexander, said the report shows local authorities were being "held at gun point" to use private finance models even if it was cheaper to use traditional public sector borrowing.

"It's no surprise to us that the report finds that using private finance increases the risk of poor quality design and construction," she said.

"But it is absolutely shocking to find the report say that the Edinburgh scheme was ‘quite typical' in this regard.

"A wall collapsed and people could have died. Other schools in Edinburgh were found to be substandard. If Edinburgh was ‘typical' then we need a national inquiry to look at every building that was constructed under a private finance model so that the public can be assured they are safe and fit for purpose.

"Private finance is delivering poor quality at extortionate cost, putting massive debt around the necks of councils, health boards and other public bodies, and dragging them under at a time of austerity. The use of private finance models should be scrapped now."

(LM/MH)