P&R ‘giving us nothing to be confident about’
A DEPUTY posing questions about the ongoing costs of the development of a new Sixth Form Centre has said he was surprised at the 'very hands-off' answers received from Policy & Resources.
Deputy Gavin St Pier asked what the ongoing rights, obligations and risks were to the States following the purported termination of the contract with RG Falla over the Les Ozouets site.
P&R has responsibility for the oversight of the capital portfolio, but not the management of the individual programmes within it.
It said it had detailed discussions with the Education Committee to understand the impact of the recent developments, and the risks and issues posed to the programme to transform education and the States.
'The committee is confident that everything is being done to manage the situation and mitigate risks,' it said.
'Given the contractual and legal review, it would be inappropriate to say anything further at this stage.'
Deputy St Pier said: 'The rug has just been pulled by Education, Sport & Culture on the largest project in that programme this term by the cancellation of the contract with RG Falla, and the best P&R can come up with is they are "confident that everything is being done to manage the situation and mitigate risks".
'They are not giving anything to the rest of us to enable us to share their confidence.
'If ESC's decision has triggered penalties or will incur liabilities for taxpayers, we are entitled to know what they are.'
Deputy St Pier said that the project was now set to run at least two years late and would 'clearly' end up over budget. He described the decision to relocate the sixth form for a transitional year to the vacant La Mare de Carteret High school site as 'a face-saving farce'.
'This response smacks of something rushed out just before Christmas in the hope that no-one is paying too much attention.'
