{"links":{"self":"https://preview.epetitions.website/archived/petitions/35821.json"},"data":{"type":"archived-petition","id":35821,"parliament":{"period":"2010-2015","government":"Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition","dissolution_at":"2015-03-30T23:59:59.000+01:00","response_threshold":10000,"debate_threshold":100000},"attributes":{"action":"Published total cap on PFI and other contract costs","background":null,"additional_details":"Concern has been raised within and outside government about the costs of PFI contracts, which have recently been estimated by the Guardian at £300billion. In order to put a limit on taxpayer exposure to contracts which may last for decades, every PFI or other long-term public sector contract should have a break clause (a way for the government to exit the contract by paying a fee) and the total cost of such break clauses across the public sector should be published at least annually. Publishing a total cost would remove any concerns about commercial confidentiality, which is the reason ofted cited when public sector bodies refuse to release information about break clauses.\r\n\r\nSuch a statistic would both give the public an indication of the total size of its PFI liabilities, and act as a cap on such costs.","committee_note":null,"state":"closed","signature_count":3,"created_at":"2012-07-07T05:31:24.000Z","updated_at":"2020-02-16T19:28:16.173Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2012-07-11T07:29:36.000Z","closed_at":"2013-07-11T07:29:36.000Z","moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2012-07-07T05:31:24.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_at":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"rejection":null,"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[],"topics":[],"signatures_by_country":[],"signatures_by_constituency":[],"signatures_by_region":[],"other_parliamentary_business":[]}}}