In 2006, most of the total spending on changes was for hospitals, equipment and training and prisons projects

1.13  Although changes have occurred across the whole of PFI, Figure 5 shows that most of the spending on change in 2006 was concentrated in three sectors. Changes to PFI prisons are handled centrally by the Ministry of Justice and the majority of equipment deals are projects managed by the Ministry of Defence. Hospitals deals are managed by local NHS Trusts and the majority of other deals, including schools, are also managed locally.

1.14  The differences between sectors in 2006 can be attributed to a mixture of factors. Prisons were particularly affected by the need to find space for more prisoners, necessitating some additional building works. Other sectors saw relatively little change in 2006 but have seen much higher levels of change in previous years and are expecting more change in the future. In sectors such as schools and hospitals, as well as defence equipment projects, the annual level of change is likely to be more consistent, reflecting the continuing changes to local and national requirements and the need to adapt accordingly.