“We all understand that sometimes external expertise can be required and beneficial. I appreciate that from my time in Ministerial Office. I also recognise a large number of professional disciplines can be involved in major projects.
However over £29 million does seem a large amount for a project when work has not commenced on site yet. It is also more than three times the total cost of professional fees for the new Maternity Hospital which has been completed. I took some level of reassurance that the Minister in the Chamber this afternoon also appeared somewhat alarmed at these figures.
The sums involved also need to be considered in the context of the large numbers of staff across the Department’s Health Estates team and employed on capital projects in our Trusts and other arms-length bodies.
I have had concerns about some of the decision-making around judicious use of public funds on capital projects, and this only adds to my unease. It is absolutely right that we take a keen interest in where every taxpayers’ pound goes”