(v) A public sector comparator was not prepared until late in the procurement, and after a decision to use the PFI had already been made. It is therefore doubtful that the use of a comparator added anything significant to the decision making process. Departments need to think through what financial and other analyses are needed at each stage of a procurement and to determine and implement the most effective means of testing whether value for money is likely to be achieved.
(vi) Although 02 assured us that the Airwave system was up and running in five forces, problems still have to be ironed out. The remedies available to the Home Office if the system does not work will not fully compensate police forces for the disruption and operational risks that would inevitably follow. In negotiating PFI deals, departments should consider carefully whether the taxpayer is fully protected before entering into such long-term contracts.