Update on the London Underground and the public-private (PPP) partnership Agreements : Seventh report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written Evidence

This timely book examines the legal regulation of Public_Private Partnerships (PPPs) and provides a systematic overview of PPPs and their functions. It covers both the contractual relationships between public and private actors and the relationships be

Mega-projects descending into chaos and litigation embarrass governments all over the world, as the public sector presides over fiascos that waste billions and destroy reputations. Inquiry after Inquiry finds the damaging and costly failures of major government projects can be traced back to the contract establishment process. Procuring Successful Mega-Projects, is a mentor’s guide for project directors, providing frank, fearless, practical advice on how to set up a major government contract that won’t end up in court. It’s all there: How to develop and negotiate a contract that doesn’t contain undeliverable obligations or perverse incentives but does contain the necessary provisions for successful project management. How to navigate the pitfalls of the public sector environment, from hiring freezes and governance frameworks to the complexities of managing the relationship with the Minister. How to select and manage the lawyers and other advisers, build the adviser-client relationship and recognise that unwelcome advice may not be unhelpful. How to structure and follow a bullet-proof procurement process that is fair to bidders and delivers great outcomes. Procuring Successful Mega-Projects is essential reading, not just for the project director, but for everyone with a stake in the success of a mega-project: public sector executives; Ministers; private sector tenderers; infrastructure lenders; legal, financial and technical professional service providers; and procurement and project management professionals.

This report from the Transport Committee, examines London Underground and the Public-Private Partnership Agreements. The Government originally announced proposals for modernising the London Underground network system via Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreements in 1998. Three contracts were drawn up with: (i) Tube Lines for the maintenance and renewal of the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Northern Lines; (ii) with Metronet Rail BVC for the maintenance and renewal of the Bakerloo, Central, Victoria & Waterloo & City Lines; (iii) with Metronet Rail SSL, responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the "sub-surface lines": the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan & East London Lines. These PPP Agreements, 30 years in duration, were arrangements to maintain, renew and upgrade parts of London Underground by private sector infrastructure companies (Infracos), whilst London Underground is responsible for services to customers. The PPP Agreements also set out a performance-related incentive and penalty scheme to remunerate the Infracos for the improvements they make to the network. In May 2007, Metronet admitted an overspend of £1 billion and was refused access to loan facilities by the banks. It then made a reference to the PPP Arbiter, which in turn triggered an Extraordinary Review (which occurs when extra costs are incurred above the level allowed for the bid). Metronet put in a bid for £551m but the PPP Arbiter provisionally concluded that a sum of £121m was appropriate. Metronet subsequently went into administration on 18 July 2007. The report sets out a number of conclusions and recommendations, including: contracts that were supposed to deliver 35 station upgrades, in fact delivered only 14, 40% of the requirement; stations that were supposed to cost Metronet SSL £2m, cost £7.5m, with only 65% of schedule track renewal accomplished; the Committee criticises the consequences of the imposition of PPP on Transport for London, as a "lamentable state of affairs", with the future of most of London Underground's upgrade and maintenance work in doubt; the Committee states, that the Government should remember the failure of Metronet before it considers entering similar arrangements; that the Government should publish a candid analysis of the events preceding Metronet's collapse and its consequences; the Committee believe that the PPP model was flawed and probably inferior to traditional public-sector management; that the Government needs to prioritise transparency and clarity to taxpayers and ensure that any future contracts result in clear accountability.

The last three decades have seen the evolution of Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Relationship Contracting (RC) as alternative procurement approaches to traditional methods of delivering public infrastructure. The potential for growth in these new forms of procurement has led to an on-going debate on the nature of requirements, particularly in terms of policy development, encouraging private investment and value for money. A key argument for Governments to procure projects using PPPs and RC is that the process delivers better value for all the stakeholders, including the community and asset end-users. This wide-ranging study of such crucial procurement issues includes international historical context, collaboration and risk management, with a focus on sustainable procurement approaches. The international significance of PPPs and RC procurement is reinforced with case study examples from the UK, Europe, North America, South Africa and the Asia-Pacific. It features cutting-edge research from around the world on subjects such as: Reviews and reflection of the PPP approach Project Alliancing Implementation of RC in developing countries Changes in procurement policy Value for money, collaboration and stakeholder involvement Growth and emergence of PPPs in Asia Risk management Including contributions from some of the world's most prominent academics and practitioners in this field, it is a crucial guide to the strategic choices governments now face for the provision of infrastructure, between using ‘public’ or ‘private’ mechanisms, or a combination of the two.

This book looks at the transition from New Labour’s ‘Spatial Planning’ approach to the Coalition Government’s preferred ‘Localism’ approach. Localism we are told will liberate local planners from the heavy hand of central government and allow planning to flourish at the local level. Alternatively, austerity cuts nationally mean planning faces cuts. In just two years the machinery of regional planning has been dismantled and local authorities are being asked to do more with less. Innovation is also evident, however, notably with the introduction of neighbourhood planning and Local Enterprise Partnerships. This collection contain chapters looking at the planning system overall, sustainability and planning, new approaches to infrastructure planning, and the critical interface between urban policy, local economic development and planning. This book was published as a special issue of Planning Practice and Research. It also contains a brand new afterword, written by the editors: ‘Localism, austerity and planning.’

Analyses and compares political blame games in Western democracies to show how democratic political systems manage policy controversies.

Incorporating HC 533, session 2008-09

In the light of anecdotal accounts of accidents involving the vehicles, but little hard evidence, MPs urge the Government to collect better data on the use of scooters as well as incidents and injuries where they are involved. To develop sound policy, we need a comprehensive evidence base detailing the number and nature of incidents involving mobility scooters on the UK's pavements and roads. Only by doing so, will issues such as the legal status of mobility scooters, the appropriateness of proficiency tests and the rights of users to take the vehicles on public transport be adequately addressed. The Committee's report notes that the Department for Transport has launched a consultation on many of these issues, but is concerned that after a similar review in 2005, Ministers failed to act on many of its findings. With a growing number of mobility scooter users on the UK's pavements and roads, the MPs call on the Government to take decisive action where necessary.

Rules governing taxis and private hire vehicles need urgent and wholesale reform. The problems posed by taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) operating outside of the district in which they are licensed - the phenomenon called 'cross-border hire' - cannot be solved without new legislation. In this report the Transport Committee puts forward its recommendations for such new legislation: listen to the views of users; keep it simple; keep it local: licensing should remain a local function; permit tighter restrictions on cross border hire; increase the potential for local authorities to work together to create larger licensing districts; and develop