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Policy & Resources is not being upfront about the cost to taxpayers of the latest delays in the education programme, according to one deputy - but the island’s senior political committee says it is “confident that everything is being done to manage the situation and mitigate risks”.
Deputy Gavin St Pier asked Policy & Resources, which has delegated authority over the £500million capital project spend, what the “ongoing rights, obligations and risks” to the States of Guernsey are following the termination of the contract with RG Falla to build a new post-16 campus at Les Ozouets.
President Deputy Peter Ferbrache acknowledged that whilst Policy & Resources has responsibility “for the oversight of the capital programme”, it does not manage individual projects within in it.
“Given the ongoing contractual and legal review, it would be inappropriate to say anything further at this stage,” he added.
Deputy St Pier believes this represents a “very ‘hands-off’ approach” and questioned why details relating to the review of the RG Falla contract have not been fleshed out for the public.
Pictured: Deputy Gavin St Pier has positioned himself as the leading voice questioning the consequences of terminating the Les Ozouets contract with RG Falla.
P&R says it has engaged in “detailed discussions with the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture” to understand the impact and risks to the States and the delivery of education.
But Deputy St Pier was surprised that “the best P&R can come up with is they are ‘confident that everything is being done’”, despite the post-16 campus representing “the largest project” within the capital programme which it is mandated to oversee.
“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.
“The project is now running at least two years late and is clearly going to be over-budget too. Meanwhile we have the face-saving farce of Education moving the Sixth Form out of a purpose-built centre to a school that is not fit for purpose.
"This response smacks of something rushed out just before Christmas in the hope that no-one is paying too much attention."
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