Public/Private Partnerships: Shares

Lord Watts Excerpts

Monday 3rd November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Wilson of Sedgefield (Lab)]

We will look at all avenues to improve any potential public/private partnership. There are obviously lessons from the past that we can draw on. I do not know the specific case that the noble Lord mentioned, but Ministers will look at this in the round. They are advising potential organisations on public/private partnerships and looking at legacy PFIs and what more they can do to help those PFIs to be managed, so there is a lot going on. We all want this to succeed and we need to draw on lessons from problems we have had in the past.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that, where the Government have to bail out the private sector, they should seek to get a stake in shareholding so that they can be paid back at an appropriate time? Too many private sector companies have enjoyed lots of money from the public but have never paid it back.

[Lord Wilson of Sedgefield (Lab)]

My noble friend raises an interesting question. I am sure that is something the Treasury will look at in the next few weeks before the Budget and after.